Get updates from House Intelligence Committee's impeachment hearing on President Donald Trump by following along with KCBS Radio. All times are Pacific Standard.
Click here to listen live to the complete hearing.
SKIRMISHING OVER THE RULES
9:45 a.m.
This seems fairly transparent: @DevinNunes knows the rules. He & Schiff each get 45 minutes and can give some of that time to their counsel, and then each member gets 5 minutes. They want Schiff to be seen shutting down a GOP woman. They are shocked, Shocked! https://t.co/Y0OqnQLnEf
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 15, 2019 BACK IN BUSINESS
9:22 a.m
Now it's the Republicans' turn. Ranking member Devin Nunes says, "I only have a few questions for you," and will likely yield the bulk of his 45 minutes to the committee's minority counsel, Steve Castor.
—Stan Bunger
MEANWHILE, ROGER STONE...
8:51 a.m.
While the hearing remains on break, word comes in from a Washington courtroom: longtime Donald Trump friend and political supporter Roger Stone has been found guilty on all counts. He'd been on trial on charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction following remarks about the WikiLeaks email releases during the 2016 presidential campaign.
—Stan Bunger
WITNESS INTIMIDATION?
8:12 a.m.
President Trump's tweet dispraging Marie Yovanovitch--sent as she testified this morning--has become a story unto itself. Intelligence Committee chair Adan Schiff branded it "witness intimidation" while Bay Area Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell said, "We have strong evidence of obstruction of justice through intimidating a witness and tampering with a witness's testimony."
—Stan Bunger
The GOP strategy today is *not* to attack #MarieYovanovitch, given how credible & powerful her presentation is. Their plan is to defend POTUS power to fire her, and attack the process. @realDonaldTrump threw a wrench in the works by trashing her on Twitter in real time.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 15, 2019 A BREAK
7:39 a.m.
Chairman Schiff announces a break, saying House votes have been scheduled. Indications are it may be an hour or so before the hearing resumes.
—Stan Bunger
WHAT EXACTLY DID THE PRESIDENT SAY?
7:15 a.m.
In April, the White House said Pres. Trump and Pres. Zelensky discussed ways "to implement reforms that strengthen democracy, increase prosperity, and root out corruption."But the call memo released today doesn't mention that.Waiting for White House to explain difference. pic.twitter.com/rJtCGGes9k
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche)
November 15, 2019 A POWERFUL OPENING STATEMENT
6:47 a.m.
Marie Yovanovitch ends her opening statement with a powerful plea to Americans to remember why people like her do what they do: to represent America abroad and advance our nation's interests. It should be played back to every high school civics class.
—Stan Bunger
Imagine how many young Americans watching these #ImpeachmentHearings will be inspired by #BillTaylor & #MarieYovanovitch to join the foreign service. Could @RepAdamSchiff have found more impressive witnesses? On the other hand, I wonder if any will want to go into politics...
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 15, 2019 Yovanovitch: "Ukrainians who preferred to play by the old corrupt rules sought to remove me. What continues to amaze me is they found Americans willing to partner with them and, working together, they apparently succeeded in orchestrating the removal of a U.S. ambassador." pic.twitter.com/dT5g8wWG8Y
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews)
November 15, 2019
WHAT DOES DAN AYKROYD HAVE TO DO WITH THIS?
6:39 a.m.
Well, like Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, he was born in Canada. And then, Doug recalled his
Saturday Night Live bit from the 70's: "The Ambassador Training Institute".
Here's the script.
—Stan Bunger
THERE'S ALWAYS A LOCAL ANGLE
6:17 a.m.
"The powers of the presidency are immense, but they are not absolute and cannot be used for a corrupt purpose," says @RepAdamSchiff in his opening at today's #ImpeachmentHearings. @DevinNunes rebuts, blasting hearings as a waste of time to fulfill Democrats' "Watergate fantasies"
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 15, 2019 START THE CLOCK
6:07 a.m.
Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) gavels the hearing to order and begins reading his opening statement.
—Stan Bunger
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE IN STATE DEPARTMENT NEWS
6:05 a.m.
A story that might have been front-page news were it not for that OTHER front-page news in Washington: the State Department's Inspector General is recommending disciplinary action against a Trump Administration appointee who stands accused of keeping a list of career State Department employees not considered sufficiently supportive of President Trump's agenda. Read the report here.
—Stan Bunger
AND WE'RE BACK!
5:50 a.m.
It's an earlier start for the Friday morning session with former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. The Intelligence Committee is due to convene at 6 a.m. Pacific time. This means Doug Sovern had to set his alarm clock many hours before his normal wake-up time.
Unexpected early-morning amusement: a line of rough, tough construction workers, all ordering pumpkin spice lattes.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 15, 2019 Me? I'm already here.
—Stan Bunger
MORE ON FRIDAY
12:30 p.m.
The impeachment hearings are "must see TV" for one San Francisco Cafe and event space. Listen to Matt Bigler's dispatch from Manny's in the Mission.
SAY IT LIKE THIS
MATTER OF INTENT
11:53 a.m.
.@JoaquinCastrotx zeroes in on a key point: Zelensky agreed on call to pursue the investigations Trump requested, and later, US aid resumed. "Is attempted murder a crime? Is attempted robbery a crime? Is attempted extortion a crime?" Rebutting GOP defense that no crime happened.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 'JUST WRONG'
10:50 a.m.
Now CT Rep. Jim Himes is asking #GeorgeKent to describe actual US anti-corruption efforts in foreign countries, and contrasting them with the words of @realDonaldTrump on his #Ukraine call, in which he only asks for an investigation of the Bidens and never mentions "corruption."
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 AMBASSADOR CRITICIZED
10:45 a.m.
Rep Jim Jordan ridicules #BillTaylor, "You're their star witness!" but he wasn't on the #Ukraine call and his understanding of a quid pro quo is all secondhand.Taylor rebuts that he's anyone's star witness, saying he's not at #ImpeachmentHearings to take sides.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 BACK TO DEMOCRATS
10:20 a.m.
Steve Castor's objective seems to be to show that it was perfectly legitimate & appropriate for Trump to want to investigate corruption in #Ukraine, and that using back channels for diplomacy is not so "outlandish," in his words. #ImpeachmentHearings
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 'TELEVISION LAWYERS'
10:01 a.m.
President Trump is criticizing the House use of staff counsel during today's #ImpeachmentHearings. He dismisses the Dems' Dan Goldman & the GOP's Steve Castor as "television lawyers." Goldman has been on NBC a lot, but I doubt career GOP House lawyer Castor would appreciate that.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 SOUNDS FAMILIAR
9:53 a.m.
Central Valley Republican Rep. Devin Nunes gets 45 minutes to question the two witnesses. He uses the first three essentially repeating his opening statement.
—Stan Bunger
MOMENT TO REVIEW
9:56 a.m.
IT'S THE GOP'S TURN
9:45 a.m.
.@DevinNunes opens his questioning by reading another opening statement instead, focusing on @RepAdamSchiff's paraphrased, exaggerated recap of Trump's phone call from a couple months back, rather than on what the witnesses have said today. #ImpeachmentHearings
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 BREAK TIME
9:21 a.m.
#ImpeachmentHearings taking a "5-minute recess" as Schiff/Goldman conclude first round of questioning of Taylor & Kent. After the break, Nunes and his lawyer will take their turn.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 INTRODUCING DAN GOLDMAN
9:09 a.m.
So who's the guy asking the questions right now? Dan Goldman is counsel for the Democratic majority on the House Intelligence Committee. Here's his Twitter profile.
—Stan Bunger
Goldman using Q&A of #BillTaylor to lay clear framework: Trump engaged in irregular, unprecedented behavior by conditioning US aid to #Ukraine on public investigations of Bidens, something other presidents haven't done #ImpeachmentHearings
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 WHISTLEBLOWER WANTED
8:50 a.m.
Inquiring minds want to know: did the overheard conversation (President Trump asking Ambassador Gordon Sondland about "the investigations") happen on speakerphone? Or is the president's voice so loud it can be heard in a Kiev restaurant? And do US diplomats routinely conduct calls with the president in such a way that others can overhear?
—Stan Bunger
KEY NEW INFORMATION?
8:38 a.m.
NEW: Taylor testifies that when one of his staffers asked Sondland what Pres. Trump thought about the Ukraine, Sondland told them that Trump “cares more about the investigations of Biden” pic.twitter.com/pBHunBFpKb
— Norah O'Donnell---- (@NorahODonnell)
November 13, 2019 This new information is grabbing a lot of attention at this hour.
—Stan Bunger
TRUMP AND THE BIDENS
8:37 a.m.
A bit of a bombshell: Taylor offers new info he got last Friday, that staffer overheard Trump asking ambassador about "the investigations" in #Ukraine the day *after* his infamous call with Ukraine's president, demanding assurances Ukraine would publicly investigate Bidens.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 IN HIS OWN WORDS
8:32 a.m.
Read Ambassador William Taylor's opening statement here, courtesy of Politico.
LINES OF COMMUNICATION
8:25 a.m.
Taylor says Trump had 2 diplomatic channels in #Ukraine, the "regular" one and a "highly irregular" one led by Rudy Giuliani. He overheard Ambassador speaking with Trump on the phone about "investigations," and that Trump pushed hard & often for investigations of Bidens/Burisma.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 DULY NOTED
—Stan Bunger
WHERE TO WATCH
8:17 a.m.
Want to watch the impeachment hearings? Manny’s in the Mission has 3 TV’s and FREE coffee for anyone who comes by to experience this important political event with others. @welcometomannys pic.twitter.com/SRQV2g6myx
— Matt Bigler (@mattbigler740)
November 13, 2019 'DIRECTIVE HAD COME FROM THE PRESIDENT'
8:11 a.m.
William Taylor testifies that he "sat in astonishment" when he was told security assistance to #Ukraine was being suspended, and that "the directive had come from the president," which Taylor considered "contrary to the goals of longstanding US policy." #ImpeachmentHearings
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 LISTEN TO THAT
8:10 a.m.
Doug and Susan Leigh Taylor and I all agree: Ambassador William Taylor has the baritone voice and cadence of a 1940's or 1950's radio news anchor.
—Stan Bunger
TAYLOR STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT
7:57 a.m..
Now, it's Bill Taylor's turn for an opening statement. He reiterates that Trump conditioning aid to #Ukraine in return for help winning the 2020 election "would be crazy," and now he's explaining why.The first hour of the #ImpeachmentHearings has been all openings, no Q & A yet.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 'PERCEPTION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST'
7:54 a.m.
Kent testifies he was concerned about "perception of conflict of interest" when Hunter Biden joined board of Burisma, but he never saw any wrongdoing or change in policy as a result. On other hand, he says, Giuliani partnered with corrupt Ukrainians to smear US Embassy officials
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE?
7:49 a.m.
OK, off-topic. Probably shallow. But George Kent DEFINITELY pulls off the bow-tie-and-matching-pocket-square look.
—Stan Bunger
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS
7:45 a.m.
First, @RepAdamSchiff & @DevinNunes gave competing history lectures about Trump, Russia & #Ukraine. Now, in his opening remarks, State Dept official George Kent is teaching us the recent history of Ukraine & its geopolitical importance. A bit professorial, complete with bowtie.
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 NUNES SPEAKS UP
7:23 a.m.
Dripping with scorn, @DevinNunes of Fresno dismisses the "impeachment sham" as "a low rent Ukrainian sequel" to the original Trump-Russia drama, and says the #ImpeachmentHearing is nothing more than an orchestrated TV show
— Doug Sovern (@SovernNation)
November 13, 2019 POISED PRESENTATION
7:17 a.m.
Just an observation: Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff is reading from his three-page prepared opening statement. But it doesn't sound like he's reading. His speech and debate teacher is smiling somewhere.
—Stan Bunger
ALL EYES ON SCHIFF
7:15 a.m.
BAY AREA WAKES UP TO HEARING
—Holly Quan
WHAT TO EXPECT: A CRASH COURSE IN FOREIGN POLICY
7;07 a.m.
We're going to hear a whole lot about things involving Ukraine. A lot of people still call it "the Ukraine" (uncool since Ukrainian independence in 1991) and a lot of people still call the capital city "KIev"--also not cool because that's a transliteration of the Russian spelling, as opposed to "Kyiv", which is a transliteration of the spelling in Ukrainian. There's even a hashtag: #KyivNotKiev
—Stan Bunger
