Kelly defends himself and colleagues
Senator Mark Kelly said during an interview on the cable network MSNow that he will not be intimidated by the Trump administration’s threat to recall him to military service so that he can be court martialed. President Trump called for the execution of Kelly and the five other Democrats who made a video in which they recited the Uniform Code of Military Justice that requires members of the military to refuse to obey illegal orders. Kelly is a retired U.S. Navy captain who served as a naval aviator, flying 39 combat missions during the Gulf War. He then became a NASA astronaut, flying four space shuttle missions. He retired from both the Navy and NASA in 2011
Setback for Trump’s prosecution of Colmey and James
Attorney General Pam Bondi says the Trump administration will appeal a federal judge’s decision throwing out the prosecutions against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge ruled that the cases were invalid because the prosecutor who brought the charges, interim U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan, had been unlawfully appointed. Trump selected Halligan for the role after forcing out the existing U.S. attorney who resisted bringing the cases. In a message that was made public by mistake, Trump ordered Bondi to prosecute certain people including Comey and James.
Russia and Ukraine stage more attacks
As the Trump administration continues to push its peace plan that would reward Russia by giving it some of Ukraine’s territory, Russia and Ukraine traded deadly attacks overnight. In Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv, Russian strikes caused extensive damage to residential buildings and targeted “the energy sector and everything that keeps normal life going,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Ukraine, meanwhile, launched a major drone attack on Russia, damaging numerous structures in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk, local authorities said. U.S. and Russian officials were holding meetings in Abu Dhabi today to discuss the proposed plan to end the war.
White House tours to resume
White House tours will resume next week after being paused in September for the demolition of the East Wing to make way for Donald Trump’s new ballroom. CNN says sources report Trump has been holding weekly meetings to finalize interior finishes for the $300 million project. Yesterday, the White House Christmas tree was delivered. It is a fir tree from Sidney, Michigan. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have called for oversight of the financial contributions Trump has been collecting to pay for the ballroom, expressing concerns that some contributors are not being disclosed and that the contributions could amount to bribes to seek favors from Trump.
Volcano erupts for the first time in 10,000 years
A volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first known time in 10,000 years, sending ash clouds drifting across continents. The long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano in the Afar region in Ethiopia’s northeast roared to life Sunday, blanketing neighboring villages in dust. Volcanic ash has traveled as far as Yemen, Oman, Pakistan and India, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. While no casualties have been reported, the eruption is posing severe challenges for farmers. It was also visible from satellites, with NASA images showing thick plumes of dust rising into the sky and billowing across the Red Sea.
Trump was planning to meet with Bolsonaro
Former Brazilian Dictator Jair Bolsonaro, already convicted of plotting a coup and sentenced to 27 years in prison, was taken into preventive custody over the weekend after Brazil’s Supreme Court said he had tried to tamper with his ankle monitor and was a flight risk. Bolsonaro had been under house arrest. It was early Saturday morning Brazil time when Bolsonaro’s ankle monitor sent an alarm that brought police to his house. On Saturday, President Trump told reporters that he had talked with Bolsonaro Friday night and that he would soon be meeting with Bolsonaro. Such a meeting would be possible if Trump visited Brazil or if Bolsonaro had escaped from his house and was able to get to the U.S.
