Campus under siege as Hong Kong police battle protesters
Police tightened their siege of a university campus where hundreds of protesters remained trapped Nov. 18 night in the latest dramatic episode in months of protests against growing Chinese control over the semi-autonomous city.
The pitched battle for control of the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been the focus of the latest protests as demonstrators for days fortified the campus to keep the police out. Now cornered by security forces determined to arrest them, they desperately tried to get out but faced a cordon of officers armed with tear gas and water cannons.
Senior government officials said they were trying to de-escalate the situation and urged the protesters to peacefully leave the campus and cooperate with police — advice that seemed certain to lead to arrests and therefore strengthened the protesters’ resolve to resist.
Pelosi invites Trump to testify as new witnesses prepare
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to testify in front of investigators in the House impeachment inquiry ahead of a week that will see several key witnesses appear publicly.
Pushing back against accusations from the Republican president that the process has been stacked against him, Pelosi said Trump is welcome to appear or answer questions in writing, if he chooses.
“If he has information that is exculpatory, that means ex, taking away, culpable, blame, then we look forward to seeing it,” she said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ 'Face the Nation.” Trump “could come right before the committee and talk, speak all the truth that he wants if he wants,” she said.
On Nov. 18, Trump tweeted he might be willing to offer written testimony.
Weary Democratic voters balk at new presidential candidates
The number of Democrats running for president is growing as the first votes of the primary approach. And voters have a clear message: stop.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick roiled the race last week by launching a surprise bid. New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg is likely to do the same in the coming days.
The late entries, less than 80 days before Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, have exposed a fresh gulf in a party already plagued by divisions. On one side: anxious establishment leaders and donors, who are increasingly concerned about the direction of the race and welcome new candidates. On the other: many rank-and-file voters and local officials across early voting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, who are drowning in candidates and say they’re more than satisfied with their current options.
Rapper Kanye West performs for Texas jail inmates
Kanye West has followed the Johnny Cash route and performed for inmates at a Houston jail.
In secret from the public, the star rapper-turned-gospel singer performed songs Nov. 15 from his new gospel album “Jesus is King.” He and his choir performed for more than 200 male inmates at one jail facility before crossing the street to another jail facility and performing for a smaller crowd of female inmates.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said West’s representatives asked jail officials about doing secret shows.
The Nov. 15 concerts were performed two days before West is to speak at Joel Osteen’s vast Lakewood Church in Houston
The events were reminiscent of prison concerts given by country singer Johnny Cash in California.
Student whose parents died of heart attacks has CPR idea
A Utah high school student who lost both her parents to heart attacks has been nominated for a prestigious scholarship on the strength of her idea for a CPR-assistance device.
Kennedy Hall’s idea is to create a device that fits over a person’s nose and mouth and do artificial breaths for a person, the Daily Herald in Provo reports.
Hall said a machine like she’s envisioning might have helped her parents, who died after a lack of oxygen caused brain damage.
“Many people have the basic idea of CPR, but don’t know what they are doing,” Hall said.
She said her parents’ deaths made her hyper aware of what’s going on around her and prompted her to think about ideas to help others.