Wednesday Morning Briefing: Trump legal team tells impeachment trial: 'Time for this to end'

U.S. Stories

Amid uncertainty over the question of whether to call witnesses in President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, his legal team wrapped up its opening arguments with an appeal for a quick acquittal. Saying “it is time for this to end,” Trump’s lawyers brushed off former national security adviser John Bolton’s explosive allegations about Trump’s conduct and accused Democrats of trying to interfere with Trump’s November re-election bid. Afterward, Republican senators met behind closed doors to discuss calling witnesses including Bolton, but said as they emerged that there was no resolution on the matter

U.S. House Democrats will unveil a proposed $760 billion infrastructure spending bill over five years that aims to rebuild sagging roads and bridges and reduce carbon pollution. The proposal is also intended to get U.S. President Donald Trump to return to the bargaining table. Trump campaigned in 2016 on boosting infrastructure spending by at least $1 billion over a decade but focused first on tax cuts and health care reform after taking office. “America’s infrastructure is in crisis,” Democrats will say, according to a fact sheet.

Moments before Los Angeles basketball great Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and the seven others perished in a helicopter crash, the pilot had tried to climb out of layer of clouds, but the aircraft then banked sharply and lurched toward the ground. The twin-engine Sikorsky S-76B slammed into a hillside 60 seconds later and burst into flames, killing all nine people on board, according to details of Sunday’s crash revealed by federal aviation safety officials.

A woman who has claimed Harvey Weinstein lured her into his home under the pretense of reading a script and then raped her is expected to take the stand in the former Hollywood producer’s sexual assault trial. Tarale Wulff, a model and former cocktail waitress, is not one of the two women Weinstein is charged with assaulting. But she is one of three women who prosecutors are calling to bolster their case against Weinstein by trying to provide evidence of his motives or methods.

When U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden went to an Iowa university to campaign this week, one thing was in short supply: students who support him. “What’s an old guy like you going to do to get the young people to come out and vote,” a person at a University of Northern Iowa town hall asked Biden on Monday, noting “there’s not very many here.” Biden, 77, joked that it can be difficult to get college students to show up before 4 p.m. and, indeed, a few more young people appeared at a later campaign event at the University of Iowa.

World

President Xi Jinping said that China was sure of defeating a "devil" coronavirus that has killed 106 people, but international alarm was rising as the outbreak spread across the world. The United States said it was expanding screening of arrivals from China from five to 20 airports and would consider imposing further travel curbs. “All options for dealing with infectious disease spread have to be on the table, including travel restrictions,” said U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar.

U.S. President Donald Trump proposed creating a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan, drawing Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. Trump announced his plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace at a White House event with embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing at his side. It includes what Trump called a four-year freeze by Israel on new settlement activity.

The death toll from last month’s volcanic eruption on New Zealand’s White Island rose to 21 after another person died in hospital from injuries, police confirmed. The name of the deceased will be released after family members have been informed, New Zealand police said. Other survivors of the eruption are still being treated for severe burns in hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Out of the official tally of 21 deaths, 18 people have died in New Zealand and two in hospitals in Australia.

India’s government has stepped up the purchase of air purifiers over the last two years, taking the number of devices in ministries to protect against deteriorating air quality to nearly 300. Six federal ministries - including the health, foreign and home affairs - bought at least 159 air purifiers during 2018-2019 at a cost of $70,353, according to previously unpublished data obtained under a Right to Information law.

Business

Trump to sign North American trade pact at White House; key Democrats not invited

U.S. President Donald Trump will sign a new North American trade agreement in an outdoor ceremony at the White House to be attended by about 400 guests - but not the key Democrats who helped secure congressional passage of the deal.

3 min read

Fed likely to keep interest rates on hold, focus on balance sheet

The Federal Reserve will conclude its latest policy meeting with interest rates almost certainly to remain on hold but officials likely to discuss possible changes to how they manage the U.S. central bank’s key overnight borrowing rate.

4 min read

Tim Hortons pulls Beyond Meat products from Ontario, British Columbia

Restaurant Brands International Inc’s Tim Hortons said it has removed Beyond Meat Inc’s products from its coffee and donut shops in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. This comes after the coffee and breakfast chain cut Beyond Meat’s burgers and sandwiches from its menu in September from all of Canada except the two provinces.

2 min read

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