House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters Tuesday that she will not call a full vote in the House of Representatives "at this time" to officially begin the impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump. How significant of a decision is this for the speaker? "Trump and his Republican allies are attempting to ramp up the pressure on Pelosi to hold a formal vote to begin the investigation — a move they believe would grant the GOP more power and influence in the process, including the ability to call and subpoena their own witnesses," The Hill reported. What’s the basis of the Republican argument?
"China called on Turkey to stop its military action in Syria and 'come back to the right track' by solving problems through political and diplomatic channels within the framework of international law, Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday," according to a Tuesday report from CGTN. Is there a role for China to play here? "China has consistently opposed the use of force in international relations, the ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press conference. He said Syria's sovereignty independence and territorial integrity must be respected and upheld in order to create favorable conditions for the political settlement," the report continued. That’s a very simple and real assessment, but also nothing but the truth.
The US conducted a covert cyberattack against Iran in the wake of a September drone strike on two Saudi Aramco oil facilities, for which Washington and Riyadh have both blamed Tehran, Reuters reported Wednesday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, two US officials told the news outlet that the cyberattack was conducted in late September and aimed to damage Iran's ability to spread "propaganda." One of the sources added that the operation affected physical hardware, but provided no further details. What’s the significance of this?
GUESTS:
Jackie Luqman — Co-editor-in-chief of Luqman Nation and the co-host of the Facebook livestream "Coffee, Current Events & Politics."
Dr. Gerald Horne — Professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including "Blows Against the Empire: US Imperialism in Crisis."
Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."
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