Tipsheet: McConnell tightlipped as impeachment furor grows

View in your browser     McConnell tightlipped as impeachment furor grows BY JORDAIN CARNEY Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is keeping a low profile amid the growing impeachment battle surrounding the White House over President Trump’s political dealings with foreign governments. McConnell made news in the first days of the two-week congressional recess, when he said he would have “no choice” but to move impeachment if the House sends over articles.  Read the full story here     Trump says acting Homeland Security chief McAleenan will step down BY BRETT SAMUELS AND JESSICA CAMPISI President Trump announced Friday night that Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan would step down from his position. Read the full story here     State sought to block Yovanovitch testimony, say Democrats BY MIKE LILLIS The Trump administration sought to block the congressional deposition Friday of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, leading House Democrats to issue a subpoena for her appearance — and ultimately compelling her to testify Friday, according to Democratic committee leaders. Read the full story here     Dismissed Ukraine ambassador blames ouster on 'a concerted campaign against me' BY MAGGIE MILLER, CRISTINA MARCOS AND RACHEL FRAZIN The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine told congressional investigators on Friday that President Trump recalled her to Washington after "a concerted campaign against me" that included unfounded allegations, according to a copy of her opening statement.  Read the full story here       In testimony, Dems see an ambassador scorned, while GOP defends Trump BY CRISTINA MARCOS, MAGGIE MILLER AND MIKE LILLIS   House lawmakers emerged Friday from a marathon hearing with the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine with both sides digging in on their positions for what promises to be a frenzied month as the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry advances full steam. Read the full story here     White House accidentally sends Ukraine talking points to Democrats again BY MIKE LILLIS AND JULIEGRACE BRUFKE The White House accidentally sent Democrats a list of talking points related to ex-Ukraine Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch’s Friday House deposition, two sources with knowledge of the email told The Hill, the second time in a month the administration has sent its Ukraine talking points to Democrats. Read the full story here     Trump accuses Pelosi of 'hating' US over impeachment inquiry BY JESSICA CAMPISI President Trump told a campaign rally in Louisiana Friday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi “hates the United States of America” because of her impeachment inquiry against him. Read the full story here     Trump announces limited trade deal with China BY NIV ELIS, BRETT SAMUELS AND MORGAN CHALFANT President Trump on Friday said he and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He had agreed on a limited trade deal that would ease the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies and potentially set the stage for a more significant deal down the road. Read the full story here     Judge blocks Trump 'public charge' rule BY NATHANIEL WEIXEL A federal judge in New York on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule linking immigrants’ legal status to their use of public benefits. Read the full story here     AG Barr blames drug overdoses on secular society BY RACHEL FRAZIN Attorney General William Barr blamed secularism in society for a series of problems such as drug overdoses, violence and poor mental health while speaking at Notre Dame's law school.  Read the full story here     The US must remain an exemplar of moral leadership on refugee resettlement BY RUSHAD L. THOMAS Opinion | As we consider our humanitarian response to both the situation at the southern border and the international refugee crisis, we should remember that the U.S. has the capacity to process asylum claims while continuing our historic commitment to admitting a healthy number of refugees each year. Read the full story here     Congress must get pharma out of NAFTA 2.0 BY ALEX LAWSON AND LINDA BENESCH Opinion | Donald Trump ran for president on a promise to lower prescription drug prices. He railed against prescription drug corporations, even saying that they are “getting away with murder.” This was smart politics, given that Americans of all political stripes overwhelmingly support far-reaching government action to curb pharma monopolies and lower drug prices. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Giuliani is said to be under investigation for Ukraine work BY MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, BEN PROTESS, KENNETH P. VOGEL AND WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating whether President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani broke lobbying laws in his dealings in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the inquiry. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Turkey’s invasion of Syria puts Islamic State fight on hold at a critical time BY LIZ SLY AND MISSY RYAN The Turkish invasion of northeastern Syria has forced the U.S. military and its Syrian Kurdish allies to significantly curtail their shared military operations against the Islamic State at a critical moment in the ongoing fight to stamp out the group’s residual presence, ­creating an opening for the militants’ comeback, U.S. and Kurdish officials say. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: After static summer, Democratic race enters a chaotic fall BY JULIE PACE, THOMAS BEAUMONT and STEVE PEOPLES A Democratic presidential race that had been largely static through the summer has tumbled into a chaotic fall, shaped by unpredictable events and the deepening impeachment crisis surrounding President Donald Trump. Read the full story here     CNN: Why Shep Smith finally walked out of Fox News for good BY BRIAN STELTER Last month Shep Smith decided that he had simply had enough. With President Trump actively distorting the truth and many of his own colleagues helping him do it, the Fox News star prided himself on anchoring a newscast that countered the network's pro-Trump opinion shows. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: America is losing the Chinese shopper BY JULIE WERNAU  For years, American companies looked to China as a land of new opportunity. Now a new reality is settling in: The Chinese consumer isn’t about to save the day for Western brands. Read the full story here   Did a friend forward you this email? 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