Dec 6, 2019

White House condemns impeachment inquiry ahead of participation deadline

President Trump. Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Staff/ Getty Images

White House counsel Pat Cipollone called the impeachment process a "charade" on Friday in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, ahead of the House deadline for President Trump and his legal counsel to announce their participation in the impeachment hearings.

What they're saying: The letter emphasized that Trump is calling for House Democrats to impeach him "fast" if they're going to, so there will be "a fair trial in the Senate."

"If the President has no good response to the allegations, then he would not want to appear before the Committee. Having declined this opportunity, he cannot claim that the process is unfair," Nadler responded in a statement on Friday.

The big picture: House Democrats have cited the White House's blanket refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry as evidence of obstruction for a potential article of impeachment.

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Axios

Updated 10 mins ago - Health

World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

Over 500 schools in South Korea have either closed or postponed reopening, according to the Korea Times, which cites data from the Ministry of Education.

Why it matters: South Korea has been a model for how to handle the novel coronavirus, and the closures reportedly followed concerns from parents and teachers over child safety. The country's confirmed death toll has plateaued at 269 over the past few days, with few increases, per Johns Hopkins data.

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Axios

Updated 12 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 5,877,503— Total deaths: 362,731 — Total recoveries — 2,464,595 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4 p.m. ET: 1,735,971 — Total deaths: 102,286 — Total recoveries: 399,991 — Total tested: 15,646,041 — Map.
Public health: Hydroxychloroquine prescription fills exploded in March —How the U.S. might distribute a vaccine.
2020: North Carolina asks RNC if convention will honor Trump's wish for no masks or social distancing.
Supreme Court: Senators Grassley, Leahy urge Supreme Court to continue live streams post-pandemic.
Business: Fed chair Powell says coronavirus is "great increaser" of income inequality.
🚀 Space: How to virtually watch SpaceX's first crewed launch Saturday.

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Dave Lawler, Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian

1 hour ago - World

Trump to end Hong Kong’s special trade status

President Trump. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. would be fundamentally changing longstanding policies toward Hong Kong as a result of Chinese encroachment on the city's autonomy.

Why it matters: Trump said he would be effectively ending the special trade status that has allowed Hong Kong to flourish as a gateway to the Chinese market. That leaves an uncertain future for businesses that operate in Hong Kong, not to mention the city's 7 million residents, and could be met with reprisals from Beijing.

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