Chopper pressers are the best pressers. Earlier today President Trump delivered impromptu remarks to the media as he departed the White House traveling to Austin, Texas.
The President Trump is traveling to Austin, Texas to tour the Apple Manufacturing Plant. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Ambassador Gordon Sondland testifies before the House Intel Committee. [Video below, Transcript Added]

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[Transcript] – THE PRESIDENT: So, thank you very much. We’re going to Austin, Texas. Apple is opening up a fantastic facility. They’re spending a tremendous amount of money. And I’ve been asking Tim Cook from the day I got elected — from the campaign, I’ve been asking Tim Cook to, if they would, we want to see Apple build here; that way, you have no tariffs. There’s no tariffs. When companies come to our country and they build, there’s no tariffs.
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Day four of the public impeachment hearings again takes place in two parts. Gordon Sondland, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, will testify first at the public hearing before the House Intelligence Committee at 9am ET.
In the afternoon session Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs and David Hale, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, will be testifying at 2:30pm ET
Fox News Livestream – Fox Business Livestream – PBS Livestream Link

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There are three current court cases that touch upon whether the House “impeachment inquiry” is following a constitutional process.

♦The first case is the House Oversight effort to gain President Trumps’ tax returns as part of their impeachment ‘inquiry’ and oversight.  That case is currently on-hold (10-day stay) in the Supreme Court; outcome pending.
♦The second case is the House Judiciary Committee (HJC) effort to gain the grand jury information from the Mueller investigation.  The decision by DC Judge Beryl Howell was also stayed by a three member DC Appellate court.  Oral arguments were November 12th, the decision is pending. [Depending on outcome, could also go to SCOTUS]
♦The third case is the HJC effort to force the testimony of former White House legal counsel Don McGahn.  Issue: subpoena validity.  The HJC has asked for an expedited ruling. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has announced she will deliver her ruling on Monday, November 25th:

WASHINGTON DC – […] “The Judiciary Committee anticipates holding hearings after HPSCI’s public hearings have concluded and would aim to obtain Mr. McGahn’s testimony at that time,” the committee wrote, referring to the impeachment inquiry hearings led by the House Intelligence Committee. “Thus, there is an urgent need for final resolution of the matter now pending before this Court.”

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Representative Jim Jordan does an outstanding job of encapsulating the impeachment fiasco and motives of entrenched administrative bureaucrats who didn’t like the diplomatic approach taken by President Trump and Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker.
In essence State Dept. officials George Kent and Bill Taylor were butthurt having been cut out of the direct Ukraine policy and diplomacy being organized by State Dept. Special Envoy Kurt Volker.  Additionally, U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was butthurt about being sidelined and no longer having most influence or access to Ukraine affluence.
Meanwhile, back in Washington DC, Jennifer Williams and Alex Vindman were aghast at President Trump’s direct expectation that Ukraine corruption -writ large- including corrupt officials speaking negatively about the U.S, must cease.  Lt. Col. Vindman, believing he alone had control over White House policy toward Ukraine; and with his feelings hurt because he felt smaller; manufactured a false narrative to his sketchy CIA resistance member Eric Ciaramella to construct a false whistle-blower leak.
Meanwhile, after the Trump-Zelensky call, envoy Kurt Volker arranged a series of meetings and diplomatic contacts with President Zelensky and U.S. officials; people he knew that President Trump would later respect their opinion.  Upon return to debrief President Trump affirmations of intent were made, and a U.S-Ukraine relationship was restarted under new leadership.
“Mr. Volker you did your job”….  WATCH:
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This afternoon at 2:30pm ET, Kurt Volker, former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine and Timothy Morrison, special assistant to the president and senior director for Europe and Russia at the National Security Council will testify to the impeachment committee.
Fox News Livestream – Fox Business Livestream – PBS Livestream Link

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Dept of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz publishes a report critical of how the FBI evaluates their Confidential Human Sources (CHSs) [Full pdf below].  This is the phase-1 OIG report the “Trust the Plan” crowd said was going to be explosive. It ain’t.

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Report Below
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HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes questioned NSC official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman about whether he had shared the contents of the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky with anyone outside the White House.
In responding Vindman stated “two people”, and then named State Dept George Kent, and a person from the intelligence community.  Then things get interesting.  Vindman refused to name the intelligence agency because it would likely expose the CIA “whistle-blower”.
This non-answer makes Alexander Vindman the source for the CIA “whistleblower” Eric Ciaramella.

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Today the House Impeachment Committee (HPSCI) begins day three of public hearings toward their goal of removing U.S. President Donald J Trump from office.
The first hearing begins at 9 a.m ET with Lt. Col. Alexander S. Vindman, the Ukraine usurper on the National Security Council who leaked to Eric Ciaramella for the construction of a fraudulent ‘whistle-blower’ complaint; and Jennifer Williams, the executive usurper/aide to Vice President Mike Pence.  Both were on the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelensky.
Then at 2:30pm ET Kurt D. Volker, the former United States special envoy to Ukraine, and Timothy Morrison, a Europe and Russia expert for the NatSec Council will testify.
CSPAN Livestream Link – PBS Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream Link

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As an outcome of the ridiculous wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former FBI Agent Peter Strzok, the DOJ provides the internal Office of Professional Responsibility report as part of their responsive filing.
The OPR report is the culmination of a two-month long internal investigation conducted in 2018. The OPR report contains several embarrassing details, including new text messages, about Peter Strzok during his FBI employment. The report is only public because it is part of a filing connected to his public lawsuit.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Here’s the report:
[scribd id=435752237 key=key-XgzGu1GsbpQb1PiB5BEl mode=scroll]
After Strzok was suspended and removed from his position, FBI Agent David Archey assumed the lead role in the Mueller investigation, August 2018.

All Your Data Are Belong To Us…

The House and Senate are doing what the deep state does so well.  Buried in the final pages of a short term Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund government, the controversial bulk metadata (Call Detail Records) within the FISA program, due to expire on December 15th, is being extended to March 15th, 2020.

(pdf link – House)

As we suspected the intelligence community -and most of congress- wants the reauthorization, even if temporary, prior to the release of a critical IG report on FISA abuse.  That said, a short term extension is the best case scenario when we consider the goal of the intelligence apparatus -writ large- was a permanent reauthorization.
The “business records provision”, the “roving wiretap” provision, the “lone wolf” provision, and the more controversial bulk metadata provisions [Call Detail Records (CDR)], parts of the Patriot Act, are going to be revisited *AFTER* the report by IG Horowitz.  The new deadline for terminal expiration will be March 15th, 2020.
FISA Court judges Rosemary Collyer (declassified 2017) and James Boasberg (declassified 2019) both identified issues with the NSA database being exploited for unauthorized reasons.  The sketchy programs, and abuse therein, needs more public attention.
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