Rivet Daily

Rivet Daily


News Espresso: White House officials kick off new Trump impeachment hearing, freed American now with U.S. officials, protesters force postponement of Lebanese parliament session

November 19, 2019

Two top national security aides who listened to President Trump's July call with Ukraine's president are testifying today at House impeachment hearings. An Army officer at the National Security Council and his counterpart at Vice President Mike Pence's office say they had concerns as Trump spoke with the newly elected Ukraine president about political investigations into Joe Biden. The family of American hostage Kevin King says he's now with U.S. officials in Afghanistan getting medical care ahead of his return home. King and his Australian colleague at the American University in Kabul were kidnapped in August 2016 by the Taliban. The Taliban's now freed the two, in exchange for three of their ranking members from Afghan custody. Thousands of protesters demonstrating in Beirut against the country's political elite have prevented several legislators from reaching the parliament building, forcing a postponement of a session. The protesters clashed with riot police as they closed all roads leading to the parliament building in central Beirut.