Tipsheet: Battle rages over which is the 'do-nothing' party

View in your browser     Battle rages over which is the 'do-nothing' party BY MIKE LILLIS  As the first year of the 116th Congress nears an end, and the prospects for major legislative achievements have gone from bad to worse, the rhetorical battle over which party deserves the "do-nothing" label is heating up. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats have passed hundreds of bills through the House, including major legislation that would establish new voting rights protections, campaign finance reforms, pay equality for women and checks on gun purchases. Read the full story here     Trump signs bill supporting Hong Kong protesters despite Chinese opposition BY BRETT SAMUELS President Trump on Wednesday signed legislation offering support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, one week after it passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities. Read the full story here     North Korea fires two projectiles off its east coast BY JESSE BYRNES North Korea fired a pair of short-range projectiles off its east coast on Thursday, the first test launch in nearly a month, South Korea's military announced. Read the full story here     Three women accuse Gordon Sondland of sexual misconduct BY RACHEL FRAZIN Three women have publicly accused U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, a key player in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, of sexual misconduct relating to their business dealings with him. Read the full story here       Giuliani calls Trump to say he was joking about 'insurance policy' BY ZACK BUDRYK Rudy Giuliani called President Trump this week to say he had been joking when he said he had an “insurance policy” in case the president turned on him, Giuliani’s attorney told Reuters on Wednesday. Read the full story here     Judge temporarily stays McGahn subpoena BY HARPER NEIDIG   A federal district judge on Wednesday issued a temporary stay of her order that former White House counsel Don McGahn comply with House Democrats' subpoena for testimony. Read the full story here     Ex-Navy secretary slams Trump's 'shocking and unprecedented intervention' in new op-ed BY BRETT SAMUELS Former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer on Wednesday admonished President Trump for repeatedly involving himself in an internal review of a Navy SEAL whose case led to controversy and Spencer's ouster over the weekend. Read the full story here     EXCLUSIVE: 2020 Dem Andrew Yang releases tax returns BY NAOMI JAGODA AND TAL AXELROD Democratic White House hopeful Andrew Yang released eight years of his tax returns Wednesday ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Read the full story here     Bloomberg bets 2020 campaign on unprecedented strategy BY JULIA MANCHESTER Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s unconventional campaign strategy is panning out to be one of riskiest experiments in primary politics, testing the limits of personal wealth and name recognition.  Read the full story here     Disability advocates raise concerns about Democratic candidates' mental health plans BY ZACK BUDRYK Mental health proposals from Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) have sparked backlash from some advocates with disabilities, who argue that the plans would increase involuntary institutionalization. Read the full story here     Why American families must talk about politics this Thanksgiving BY JASON GRUMET Opinion | If there is one thing that unites us this Thanksgiving, it is anxiety about how much divides us. Will Uncle Ed wear his “MAGA” hat all dinner? How long will the boyfriend your sister brought home lecture the table on the carbon footprint of turkey husbandry? Then you have your know it all neighbor waiting to inform everyone that the capital of Ukraine is really pronounced “Keeeev” when the issue of impeachment comes up. Read the full story here     7 ways airlines ruin Thanksgiving — and what we can do to fight back BY JAY RATLIFF Opinion | During this record-breaking Thanksgiving travel season, an estimated 31.6 million people are expected to fly, and we can count on the airlines making those experiences an absolute nightmare. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Testimony, records raise questions about ambassador’s account of Trump’s ‘no quid pro quo’ call BY AARON C. DAVIS, ELISE VIEBECK AND JOSH DAWSEY Gordon Sondland’s recollection of a phone conversation that he said took place Sept. 9 has emerged as a centerpiece of President Trump’s defense. But the White House has not located a record of a call between Trump and Sondland that day. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Sticky impeachment trial questions: How long? Who testifies? BY MARK SHERMAN  What will the impeachment trial look like? While a Senate trial of President Donald Trump now appears inevitable, details of how it will unfold remain unknown. How long will proceedings last? Can either party summon witnesses to make its points? Senators will have to decide these and other, potentially thorny questions. Read the full story here     Reuters: China warns of retaliation for U.S. legislation backing protesters in Hong Kong BY JESSIE PANG AND CATE CADELL China warned the United States on Thursday that it would take “firm counter measures” in response to U.S. legislation backing anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, and said attempts to interfere in the Chinese-ruled city were doomed to fail. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Boeing’s next jet faces more scrutiny from foreign regulators, amid 737 Max crisis BY BENJAMIN KATZ AND ANDY PASZTOR European and Middle Eastern regulators will conduct independent certification reviews of Boeing Co.’s next new aircraft, according to people familiar with the matter, breaking from longstanding practice to apply what they say are lessons learned from the 737 MAX crisis. Read the full story here     Bloomberg: Apple Maps angers Ukraine by giving Crimea to Russia BY IAN KING Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko accused Apple Inc. of insensitivity for having some versions of its Maps application depict the Crimean peninsula as being part of Russia. Read the full story here   Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet     You might like         Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2016 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.