5 things to know for October 18: Elijah Cummings, Syria, Brexit, impeachment, quakes - CNN

Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

GOP lawmakers joined with their Democratic colleagues to pass a resolution opposing the Trump administration's move to pull US troops from Syria. Many have criticized the President's decision -- which cleared a path for Turkey to attack US-allied Kurdish forces there -- because they believe it opens a door for the resurgence of ISIS in the region. Later, during a meeting at the White House on Syria, the President clashed with congressional Democratic leaders. They walked out of the meeting after Trump had what they described as a "meltdown" and called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "a third-rate politician." The White House pushed back on the Dems' version of the meeting, saying Trump was "measured" and "decisive" and that Pelosi "had no intention of listening."

There's a deal on Brexit. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted almost simultaneously earlier this morning that an agreement had been reached on the UK's long-planned exit from the EU, set for two weeks from today. No details were released, but we should learn more later today when Johnson heads to Belgium for a two-day summit with EU leaders. Click here to get the latest on Brexit developments.

3. Impeachment inquiry

It's another big day in the impeachment inquiry. Today, we're expecting testimony from another key player in the probe: Gordon Sondland, the US ambassador to the European Union. He's appearing before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees. Sondland's name has popped up at various points in the investigation so far, including text messages turned over to Congress in which Sondland and a top US diplomat in Ukraine debate whether $400 million in military and security aid was being withheld in connection with Ukraine opening an investigation into President Trump's political rivals. 

Meanwhile, if the House goes ahead and impeaches the President, the trial in the Senate could be quick. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave GOP senators a preview of how an impeachment trial in the chamber would work. The conventional wisdom is that the House could pass articles of impeachment by Thanksgiving. If that happens, McConnell speculated that the Senate trial could be over by Christmas. Do you have questions about the impeachment process? You're in luck. CNN legal analyst Elie Honig, a former federal and state prosecutor, is here to answer them.

4. Worker strikes

A tentative deal has been reached that could end the monthlong General Motors strike. Details about the agreement haven't been publicly released. It needs to get the OK from both union leadership and rank-and-file union members before it can take effect. Union officials are set to meet today in Detroit. If the deal is approved, it's not clear when workers would start returning to work. Meanwhile, in Chicago, 25,000 educators are set to go on strike today. Classes have been canceled today in the country's third-biggest school district. The educators want higher pay, smaller class sizes and more support staff.

5. California earthquakes

On the anniversary of one of the deadliest quakes in its history, California is launching the nation's first statewide earthquake early warning system. Here's how it will work: Ground motion sensors across the state will detect earthquakes before people can feel them, and then a notification will go out so Californians can be prepared. The system launches on the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake, a 6.9-magnitude quake that hit the central coast of the state in 1989 and killed 63 people.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Paying it forward

If you get a parking ticket in Las Vegas over the next month, you'll be able to pay off the fine with a food donation.

Seeing double

Been there, done that. A new dad said he relaxed a bit when he learned identical twin nurses would help deliver his identical twin daughters.

Where's the elevator?

Call some friends, jump in your pink Jeep and hop on the Pacific Coast Highway. Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse will be on Airbnb for $60 per night.

Divas unite

Nicki Minaj and Adele have been collaborating on a song. We're not surprised to hear it's "epic."

TODAY'S QUOTE

"How can we work together and be in sweatpants?"

Actress Angela Kinsey to Jenna Fischer, explaining why the two alums of "The Office" decided to start a podcast -- called "Office Ladies" -- which will review every episode of the classic sitcom

TODAY'S WEATHER

AND FINALLY

In the middle

Who is the better cook? Mom or grandma? Let the kids decide! (Click to view.)

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/us/five-things-october-18-trnd/index.html

2019-10-17 10:07:00Z
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UK and EU strike new Brexit deal after last-ditch talks - CNBC

Negotiators from the U.K. and EU have reached a draft Brexit deal in the eleventh hour of talks, although there are serious doubts that the agreement will be approved by U.K. lawmakers back in Westminster.

Sterling rose on news after the U.K. made concessions over the Irish border, an issue that had proven to be the biggest obstacle to a deal up to that point. The pound was 0.8% higher against the dollar, at $1.2929, reaching a five-month high.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "we have a great new Brexit deal" via Twitter. He called on British lawmakers to back the deal when it's put before Parliament on Saturday.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the deal was a "fair and balanced" one.

Discussions to hammer out a "Withdrawal Agreement" — that will now be put before EU leaders at their summit on Thursday and Friday, and then U.K. lawmakers at the weekend — had continued late into the night Tuesday and into Wednesday. The EU Parliament will also have to ratify the deal at an, as yet, unspecified date.

Speaking after the deal was announced, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said the deal was the result of intense work from both negotiating teams. "We have delivered together," he said.

Giving further details on the deal, Barnier said that Northern Ireland will remain part of the U.K.'s customs territory and would be the entry point into the EU's single market. He said there would be no regulatory or customs checks at the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (a part of the U.K.) — removing a factor that had been a key concern for both sides. He added that Northern Ireland would remain aligned to some EU rules, notably related to goods.

The deal also covers the protection of citizens' rights and a transition period which will last until the end of 2020. Barnier also iterated that the EU and U.K. would work toward an "ambitious free trade deal with zero tariffs and quotas."

Deal already in doubt

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is legally bound to request an extension to the current Brexit departure date of October 31 if no deal is reached, or rejected, by October 19. Whether the deal will be approved in Westminster is in doubt, however, with the future status of Northern Ireland still a sticking point for some.

A key ally of the government, the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has already responded by saying that it cannot support the deal.

The U.K. government, which does not have a majority in the British Parliament, needs the DUP's support (and votes) if it is to have a chance to get a deal over the line when (and if) Parliament votes on Saturday to approve any deal.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) poses with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prior to a meeting at a restaurant on September 16, 2019 in Luxembourg.

Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The DUP said in a statement earlier Thursday that it's unhappy with proposed customs and consent arrangements (designed to give Northern Ireland a say over its relationship with the EU post-Brexit) within the proposals. The DUP has repeatedly opposed any plans that would see it treated differently from the U.K. after Brexit.

While details of the new deal remain scant, the U.K. opposition Labour party said in a statement that "from what we know, it seems the Prime Minister has negotiated an even worse deal than Theresa May's, which was overwhelmingly rejected."

British MPs had rejected a Brexit deal arrived at by previous Prime Minister Theresa May three times because of objections to the Irish "backstop" issue. This was designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland if the U.K. and EU can't agree a trade deal in a post-Brexit transition period.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/17/uk-and-eu-agree-on-new-brexit-deal-boris-johnson-says.html

2019-10-17 09:41:58Z
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Turkish president Erdogan 'threw Trump's Syria letter in bin' - BBC News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put US President Donald Trump's letter "in the bin", the BBC has been told.

In the letter dated 9 October, and sent after US troops were pulled out of Syria, Mr Trump told Mr Erdogan: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!"

Turkish presidential sources told the BBC that the letter was "thoroughly rejected" by Mr Erdogan.

On the day the letter was received, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive against Kurdish-led forces.

"Let's work out a good deal! You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy - and I will," Mr Trump said in the letter.

"History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen."

In response, Turkish presidential sources said: "President Erdogan received the letter, thoroughly rejected it and put it in the bin."

President Trump has faced intense criticism for the withdrawal of troops, which critics say gave Turkey the green light to launch the military attack.

Much of the criticism has come from within Mr Trump's own party.

In a rare bipartisan rebuke, 129 members of the president's Republican Party in the House of Representatives joined Democrats to formally denounce the move in a vote on Wednesday.

The joint resolution, which also called on President Erdogan to immediately cease military operations against Kurdish-led forces, was voted in by 354-60.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also held an apparently explosive meeting with President Trump on the issue, which led to her and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer walking out of the room.

Republican leaders said Ms Pelosi's behaviour was "unbecoming", and criticised her for "storming out".

Ms Pelosi and Mr Trump also each accused the other of having a "meltdown", with the president later tweeting a photo of their confrontation.

But the image has been praised by Democrats, who said it was "iconic" and showed Ms Pelosi's "finest moment". Ms Pelosi also made the photo her top image on Twitter.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump said the US should not be intervening in Turkey's military operation in Syria because it is "not our border", and called the former US allies the Kurds "no angels".

Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched the offensive in northern Syria last week to push back from the border members of a Syrian Kurdish militia, called the People's Protection Units (YPG), and to create a "safe zone" where up to two million Syrian refugees can be resettled.

Kurdish-led forces have been a critical ally of the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and there are fears the destabilisation could lead to a jihadist resurgence.

• Will Islamic State re-emerge?
• Orphaned siblings rescued from Syrian camp

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50080737

2019-10-17 09:23:49Z
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Turkish president Erdogan 'threw Trump's Syria letter in bin' - BBC News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan put US President Donald Trump's letter "in the bin", the BBC has been told.

In the letter dated 9 October, and sent after US troops were pulled out of Syria, Mr Trump told Mr Erdogan: "Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!"

Turkish presidential sources told the BBC that the letter was "thoroughly rejected" by Mr Erdogan.

On the day the letter was received, Turkey launched a cross-border offensive against Kurdish-led forces.

"Let's work out a good deal! You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy - and I will," Mr Trump said in the letter.

"History will look upon you favourably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen."

In response, Turkish presidential sources said: "President Erdogan received the letter, thoroughly rejected it and put it in the bin."

President Trump has faced intense criticism for the withdrawal of troops, which critics say gave Turkey the green light to launch the military attack.

Much of the criticism has come from within Mr Trump's own party.

In a rare bipartisan rebuke, 129 members of the president's Republican Party in the House of Representatives joined Democrats to formally denounce the move in a vote on Wednesday.

The joint resolution, which also called on President Erdogan to immediately cease military operations against Kurdish-led forces, was voted in by 354-60.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also held an apparently explosive meeting with President Trump on the issue, which led to her and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer walking out of the room.

Republican leaders said Ms Pelosi's behaviour was "unbecoming", and criticised her for "storming out".

Ms Pelosi and Mr Trump also each accused the other of having a "meltdown", with the president later tweeting a photo of their confrontation.

But the image has been praised by Democrats, who said it was "iconic" and showed Ms Pelosi's "finest moment". Ms Pelosi also made the photo her top image on Twitter.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Trump said the US should not be intervening in Turkey's military operation in Syria because it is "not our border", and called the former US allies the Kurds "no angels".

Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels launched the offensive in northern Syria last week to push back from the border members of a Syrian Kurdish militia, called the People's Protection Units (YPG), and to create a "safe zone" where up to two million Syrian refugees can be resettled.

Kurdish-led forces have been a critical ally of the US in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and there are fears the destabilisation could lead to a jihadist resurgence.

• Will Islamic State re-emerge?
• Orphaned siblings rescued from Syrian camp

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50080737

2019-10-17 08:38:47Z
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Brexit edges towards the endgame | Parliament LIVE - The Sun

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdhB5623PI

2019-10-17 08:35:14Z
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Blow to Boris Johnson’s Brexit Plan as He Heads to Brussels - The New York Times

BRUSSELS — Britain’s frantic efforts to negotiate a Brexit agreement with the European Union hit a last-minute snag on Thursday morning, after Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party said it could not support the deal “as things stand.”

The statement, hours before Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain was to present the deal to European leaders at a summit meeting in Brussels, suggested that British domestic politics once again threatened to torpedo a complex negotiation in the 11th hour.

It was not clear whether the Northern Ireland party simply wanted to make a show of holding out for its position before ultimately acquiescing — or whether Mr. Johnson faced a serious rebellion from the skeptics in his ranks.

But the sudden setback rattled the financial markets, with the British pound falling to $1.27 and 1.15 euros on the news, after having surged earlier this week on optimism that a deal was finally in sight.

The Democratic Unionists, who have proved to be a pivotal blocking force in previous attempts to negotiate an agreement to extricate Britain from the bloc, said they were troubled by elements of the deal on how to handle Northern Ireland in a post-Brexit world.

“As things stand,” the party said in a statement issued on Thursday, “we could not support what is being suggested on a customs and consent issues, and there is a lack of clarity on VAT.”

The party said it would continue working with the government on an acceptable agreement.

Mr. Johnson has consulted closely the Democratic Unionists and other skeptical elements of his Conservative Party-led coalition as a deal has taken shape. On Wednesday, optimism had grown amid signs in Brussels that the deadlock over Britain’s planned departure from the bloc could be on the verge of breaking.

Essentially, the proposed agreement would leave Northern Ireland aligned with European Union laws and regulations on most trade issues, even as it moved out of the European single market and into a customs union with Britain.

Under the proposed terms, the bloc would still conduct customs checks on some goods flowing from Britain to Northern Ireland if those goods were ultimately destined for the European Union.

There would be a complex series of rules on tariffs and value-added tax payments to compensate for differences in tariff rates between the European and British customs unions, though negotiators were struggling late on Tuesday to resolve the issue of how to rebate value-added tax payments.

The arrangement would also be subject to consent by the Northern Ireland Assembly, but in a way that would prevent the Democratic Unionists, who have opposed previous such proposals, from simply vetoing it at the first possible opportunity.

The Democratic Unionists are crucial to Mr. Johnson’s effort to win a majority for the deal in Parliament. Their opposition to similar previous versions of a Brexit agreement forced Mr. Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, to overhaul that agreement to place all of Britain in the European customs union for a period of time.

Mrs. May’s deal was nevertheless soundly defeated in Parliament three times.

Mr. Johnson was seen as having a better chance of cobbling together a majority, in part because he was a vocal supporter of Brexit before the 2016 referendum and thus has greater credibility with euroskeptic elements of the Conservative coalition.

As British negotiators were huddling with their European counterparts in Brussels, Mr. Johnson met with a parade of skeptics in 10 Downing Street. His hope is to win approval of the deal in Brussels by Friday, and then put it to a vote in a special session of the House of Commons on Saturday.

Mr. Johnson has vowed to leave the European Union, with or without a deal, by Oct. 31, and his negotiators have labored to seal an agreement by this week so that the prime minister is not force to ask Brussels for an extension.

European negotiators have used that tight timetable as leverage to push Mr. Johnson on the issue of Northern Ireland. The deal taking shape is not all that different from the one that the European Union proposed to Mrs. May — and which she concluded she could not accept because of opposition from the Democratic Unionists.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/world/europe/brexit-boris-johnson-eu.html

2019-10-17 07:03:00Z
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Brexit deal on a knife edge but talks continue ahead of EU summit - CNBC

Efforts are continuing to hammer out a Brexit deal Thursday as European Union leaders gather for a summit at which they could approve a tentative withdrawal agreement.

But that could prove very difficult with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), a group of politicians in Northern Ireland which are allied with the ruling U.K. Conservative Party, announcing that it couldn't support the deal as it stands.

That announcement sent sterling plunging more than 0.4% on Thursday morning, to 1.2765 against the dollar after trading near 1.2819.

The DUP said in a statement that it's unhappy with proposed customs and consent arrangements (designed to give Northern Ireland a say over its relationship with the EU post-Brexit) within the current proposals. The DUP has repeatedly opposed any plans that would see it treated differently from the U.K. after Brexit.

The U.K. government, which does not have a majority in the British Parliament, needs the DUP's support (and votes) if it is to have a chance to get a deal over the line when (and if) Parliament votes on Saturday to approve any deal.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit on September 23, 2019 in New York City.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Roller-coaster ride

Brexit talks on Wednesday resembled a roller-coaster ride with reports at times suggesting a deal had been reached only to be countered with others suggesting that stumbling blocks had been run into. This caused volatile moves in sterling and U.K. stocks.

As talks continued into Wednesday night, EU officials and leaders appeared positive that an agreement was possible, even as time was fast running out before an EU leaders summit in Brussels Thursday.

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said there had been "good progress" in talks Wednesday evening and European Council President Donald Tusk said that "the basic foundations of this agreement are ready and theoretically we could accept a deal." German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said she was slightly more optimistic a deal could be reached.

Even if the EU agrees to a deal, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson still needs to gain domestic support for an agreement from the U.K. Parliament, which could happen in a special parliamentary session on Saturday.

'Fundamental shift'

Hopes for a Brexit deal were revived in early October when the British government tabled new proposals to circumvent the contentious Irish "backstop" — an insurance policy in the original Brexit deal designed to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The backstop had been very unpopular among Brexiteers and the DUP who did not want Northern Ireland to be separated from the rest of the U.K. As such, Britain proposed new plans that would see Northern Ireland retain elements of EU single market membership but leave the customs union, necessitating customs checks.

To ensure the Irish border remained open, Britain suggested customs checks could take place away from the border but EU officials were skeptical about the practicality of those arrangements.

As talks continued this week, Britain was reported to have made more concessions over Northern Ireland, however, including suggesting that a customs border could be created down the Irish Sea — something that appeared to unnerve the DUP.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament's chief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, said there had been a positive change in the U.K.'s position. Still, he recognized any deal still needs approval by the U.K. Parliament — and a majority of U.K. lawmakers rejected the last Brexit deal on offer three times over.

"There has been a fundamental shift (compared to) a week ago, where before, the proposals of Mr (Boris) Johnson were absolutely unacceptable," Verhofstadt told reporters Wednesday.

"(But) there has been a fundamental shift, that is clear. So, the question is now, can the outstanding issues on customs be resolved? And then the next step — but that is not in this parliament, it is in another parliament in Britain — is there a majority in the House of Commons for it?," he added.

If EU leaders can agree a Brexit deal, Johnson will then take it to the U.K. Parliament on Saturday. There is no guarantee that a majority of lawmakers will back the deal, however, with hard Brexiteers and Remain lawmakers poles apart on whether to back the deal or risk a no-deal Brexit on October 31.

If no deal is agreed on Saturday, Johnson has been legally bound by his parliamentary colleagues to ask the EU for an extension to the departure date. But the prime minister has said the U.K. must leave the EU on Oct. 31 come what may.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/17/brexit-sterling-falls-as-dup-says-it-cannot-support-deal.html

2019-10-17 06:43:07Z
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