10 things you need to know today: October 27, 2019
1.
President Trump confirmed Sunday morning that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a secret U.S. military operation Saturday evening in Syria. Trump said Baghdadi was killed while being chased by dogs into a dead-end tunnel, where "whimpering, crying, and screaming," he detonated his vest, reportedly killing himself and three children. Trump said there were no American deaths in the operation, and 11 other young children were removed from Baghdadi's compound uninjured. Trump said the U.S. had the elusive Baghdadi under surveillance for weeks before launching the raid, which the president said involved eight helicopters flying over dangerous territory. [NBC News, The Washington Post]
2.
Nearly a million customers are without power in California as wildfires continue to spread across the state with the help of powerful winds. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said weather conditions could allow for the potential for fires to spread rapidly, as well as new ignitions Sunday evening into Monday. The Tick Fire, which is burning near Santa Clarita, reportedly destroyed at least 16 structures as of Saturday evening and was threatening 10,000 more, and human remains were reportedly found in its wake. Meanwhile, 97,000 people have been ordered to evacuate Sonoma County as the Kincade Fire spreads. [CNN, The Weather Channel]
3.
Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, appeared before lawmakers under a subpoena Saturday in a closed-door deposition related to Congress' impeachment inquiry despite being instructed not to cooperate by the White House. Reeker told House members he planned to release a statement in support of Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, after she was forced out of the role by the Trump administration, a person familiar with the testimony said. Ultimately, Reeker reportedly testified, he was blocked from doing so by the State Department. Reeker also reportedly said he was aware of a plan to freeze military aid to Ukraine, but he was not aware of why it was being held and had no knowledge of any alleged quid-pro-quo scheme. [NPR, Politico]
4.
Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told House committees while testifying as part of a congressional impeachment inquiry last week that he believed there was indeed a quid-pro-quo between the U.S. and Ukraine, Sondland's lawyer said. Sondland reportedly testified that he believed the White House pressured Kyiv to investigate Burisma Group — a gas company where former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, once served on the board — as a condition for setting up a meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sondland reportedly said, when asked if the arrangement was a quid-pro-quo, that he wasn't a lawyer, but he believed the answer was yes. The testimony was not referring to the White House allegedly withholding military aid until Kyiv opened the investigation. [The Wall Street Journal]
5.
Hundreds of pro-democracy, anti-government protesters gathered once again Sunday in Hong Kong without police permission, marking the 21st straight week of demonstrations in the city. Sunday's rally was described as a show of support for the local Muslim population, as well as other ethnic minority groups and journalists, in response to Hong Kong police spraying a mosque with a water cannon. The demonstrators were calling for an end to the use of water cannons and tear gas, but to no avail, as police fired tear gas, water cannons, and pepper spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, the protesters threw petrol bombs and a fire was started near the entrance of a metro station. [The South China Morning Post, The New York Times]
6.
Two people were killed and 14 others were injured in a shooting during an off-campus Texas A&M University-Commerce homecoming party which an estimated 750 people were attending near Greenville, Texas, just before midnight Saturday, the Hunt County's Sheriff's Office said. The shooting reportedly began after deputies had arrived at the scene following reports of illegal parking and heard gunshots. Police believe a single shooter remains at large and they do not have a description of the suspect as they continue their search. Police also did not have information on the severity of the injuries, though a hospital in Plano, Texas, reportedly received three of the victims, who were reportedly in critical condition. [The Associated Press, CNN]
7.
At least 60 people were killed over the weekend in Baghdad, Iraq, after Iraqi security forces launched a raid to disperse protesters, though hundreds of people reportedly remained in the city's central Tahrir Square on Sunday anyway. The protests began earlier in October in response to poor economic conditions in the country, prompting demonstrators to call for the removal of the current government. Since the protests began, at least 190 people have been killed. Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi has attempted to appease the protesters by delivering some reforms and restructuring his cabinet, but it has not put a stop to the unrest, as demonstrators seek greater systemic change. [Al Jazeera, CBS News]
8.
Catholic Bishops from the Amazon proposed Saturday during a Vatican synod that married men in remote areas in the region should be allowed to be ordained priests in the hopes of finding a solution to a shortage of candidates for the profession, which could alter the church's longstanding policy of celibacy among its leaders. The proposal passed by a healthy margin, 128 to 41, making it the first time a summit of Catholic bishops backed a change to celibacy among priests. Pope Francis will reportedly consider the idea, and he also announced he would initiate a commission to study the history of women deacons in the early centuries of the church in response to calls that they should be able to take up the same role today. [The Guardian, Reuters]
9.
Following historic protests across the country, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera dismissed his entire cabinet and will attempt to form a new government with the goal of instituting a series of social reforms demanded by the demonstrators. "We are in a new reality," he said. "Chile is different from what it was a week ago." The president also announced a curfew imposed in cities across the country had been lifted, though protesters also want to put an end to an ongoing state of emergency in the country. At least 17 people have been killed since the anti-inequality protests began over a week ago, and hundreds of people have been treated at hospitals after getting shot and beaten. [BBC, The Guardian]
10.
The Houston Astros evened the World Series at two games apiece Saturday night, defeating the Washington Nationals, 8-1, in the nation's capital. Houston looked like they were in serious trouble after dropping the first two games of the series at home, but they rebounded on the road, setting up what should be a compelling conclusion to the series. The hero of game 4 was Houston starter José Urquidy, who put together the best starting pitching performance in the series so far, despite being a relative unknown compared to the numerous Cy Young contenders on both rosters. Houston third baseman Alex Bregman finally broke out of his postseason slump, launching a grand slam to put the game out of reach. Game 5 is set for Sunday night at 8:07 p.m. E.T. on Fox. Washington's Max Scherzer will face Houston's Gerrit Cole. [ESPN]