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| Brexit, Impeachment, Russia: Your Wednesday Briefing | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| (Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.) | |
| Good morning. | Good morning. |
| We’re taking a look at the intense campaign season ahead of the British general election, a new White House official who alleges omissions in the account of Trump’s call with Ukraine and a battle cry for a fed-up generation. | We’re taking a look at the intense campaign season ahead of the British general election, a new White House official who alleges omissions in the account of Trump’s call with Ukraine and a battle cry for a fed-up generation. |
| Prime Minister Boris Johnson threw the question of Brexit back to the British people on Tuesday, when he won the backing of Parliament to hold a general election on Dec. 12. He hopes that his party will secure a majority and smooth the Brexit process. | Prime Minister Boris Johnson threw the question of Brexit back to the British people on Tuesday, when he won the backing of Parliament to hold a general election on Dec. 12. He hopes that his party will secure a majority and smooth the Brexit process. |
| The 438-20 vote in Parliament, which came after the opposition Labour Party dropped its resistance, provided the starting point of an unpredictable six-week race that could change Britain’s relationship to the world. | The 438-20 vote in Parliament, which came after the opposition Labour Party dropped its resistance, provided the starting point of an unpredictable six-week race that could change Britain’s relationship to the world. |
| The election, for Mr. Johnson, is a bet that he and his Conservative Party can win a parliamentary majority. That is uncertain. | The election, for Mr. Johnson, is a bet that he and his Conservative Party can win a parliamentary majority. That is uncertain. |
| Possible outcomes: Though Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party leads in the polls — more than 10 percentage points in some — it is difficult to predict how that would translate to seats in Britain’s electoral system. | Possible outcomes: Though Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party leads in the polls — more than 10 percentage points in some — it is difficult to predict how that would translate to seats in Britain’s electoral system. |
| Britain could end up in the same political cul-de-sac it is in today, with no party winning a clear majority, or the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, could ride a wave of public disgust over government deadlock and end up in the prime minister’s office. His party would likely open up a second referendum on the whole departure. | Britain could end up in the same political cul-de-sac it is in today, with no party winning a clear majority, or the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, could ride a wave of public disgust over government deadlock and end up in the prime minister’s office. His party would likely open up a second referendum on the whole departure. |
| Other potential surprises: Mr. Johnson also has to worry about his right flank, where the more conservative Brexit Party could steal votes with its even more ruthless stance on Britain’s swift departure from the E.U. | Other potential surprises: Mr. Johnson also has to worry about his right flank, where the more conservative Brexit Party could steal votes with its even more ruthless stance on Britain’s swift departure from the E.U. |
| Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, on Tuesday told House impeachment investigators that the official White House account of the president’s call with Ukraine was missing key details. | Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, on Tuesday told House impeachment investigators that the official White House account of the president’s call with Ukraine was missing key details. |
| He said he tried to restore them, but two mentions of former Vice President Joe Biden and Burisma, the Ukrainian company for which Mr. Biden’s son Hunter had worked, were left out. | He said he tried to restore them, but two mentions of former Vice President Joe Biden and Burisma, the Ukrainian company for which Mr. Biden’s son Hunter had worked, were left out. |
| Meaning: Colonel Vindman did not testify to a motive behind the editing process. But his testimony is likely to drive investigators to ask further questions about how the White House staff handled the call. | Meaning: Colonel Vindman did not testify to a motive behind the editing process. But his testimony is likely to drive investigators to ask further questions about how the White House staff handled the call. |
| Context: He is the only witness so far who listened in on the phone call, which is central to the inquiry, and he told officials that he had reported his concerns about the exchange to a White House lawyer. | Context: He is the only witness so far who listened in on the phone call, which is central to the inquiry, and he told officials that he had reported his concerns about the exchange to a White House lawyer. |
| Go deeper: Colonel Vindman came to the U.S. as a refugee after his family fled Ukraine. In the 40 years since, he has become a scholar, diplomat, decorated Iraqi war veteran and Ukraine expert. His past and present converged as he became a star witness in the impeachment inquiry. | Go deeper: Colonel Vindman came to the U.S. as a refugee after his family fled Ukraine. In the 40 years since, he has become a scholar, diplomat, decorated Iraqi war veteran and Ukraine expert. His past and present converged as he became a star witness in the impeachment inquiry. |
| Russia has been playing for power in Africa in recent years by sending arms, offering mercenaries and cinching mining deals. | Russia has been playing for power in Africa in recent years by sending arms, offering mercenaries and cinching mining deals. |
| More quietly, the Kremlin has started to set up a low-profile infrastructure of political influence that resembles its strategy in Europe and the U.S. — and it is already identifying African politicians and activists who will carry its message, in exchange for access to financing or other support. | More quietly, the Kremlin has started to set up a low-profile infrastructure of political influence that resembles its strategy in Europe and the U.S. — and it is already identifying African politicians and activists who will carry its message, in exchange for access to financing or other support. |
| It wants to convey that while Western Europe and the U.S. are exploiting Africa — and have been for centuries — Moscow is ready to engage on mutually beneficial terms. | It wants to convey that while Western Europe and the U.S. are exploiting Africa — and have been for centuries — Moscow is ready to engage on mutually beneficial terms. |
| Details: Moscow has been deploying its international propaganda arms, the television channel RT and the Sputnik news agency. It has offered up pro-Putin feature films to local TV stations, including “Drift It Like Putin’s Driver” and “Coups R Us: American Regime Changes and Their Aftermaths.” | Details: Moscow has been deploying its international propaganda arms, the television channel RT and the Sputnik news agency. It has offered up pro-Putin feature films to local TV stations, including “Drift It Like Putin’s Driver” and “Coups R Us: American Regime Changes and Their Aftermaths.” |
| What to watch: Major elections loom next year across Africa, including in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Burundi. And Russian authorities have met with candidates already. | What to watch: Major elections loom next year across Africa, including in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Burundi. And Russian authorities have met with candidates already. |
| Above, Ian Hislop, one of the “captains” on “Have I Got News For You,” on a recent episode with Layla Moran, a member of Parliament from the Liberal Democrat party. | Above, Ian Hislop, one of the “captains” on “Have I Got News For You,” on a recent episode with Layla Moran, a member of Parliament from the Liberal Democrat party. |
| Many viewers of the comedy show “Have I Got News for You” trace Boris Johnson’s ascent back to the ’90s, the first of many times he would appear on the long-running BBC quiz show. | Many viewers of the comedy show “Have I Got News for You” trace Boris Johnson’s ascent back to the ’90s, the first of many times he would appear on the long-running BBC quiz show. |
| Back then, he was a failed Conservative Party candidate. Throughout the years, he would return to the set in different roles, but would always maintain and embrace the bumbling persona the audience loved. (He would even mess up his hair before cameras rolled, one of the show’s producers said.) And his political star rose. | Back then, he was a failed Conservative Party candidate. Throughout the years, he would return to the set in different roles, but would always maintain and embrace the bumbling persona the audience loved. (He would even mess up his hair before cameras rolled, one of the show’s producers said.) And his political star rose. |
| Lebanon: Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he would resign following enormous antigovernment protests demanding his ouster that had suspended daily life in the country for nearly two weeks. | Lebanon: Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he would resign following enormous antigovernment protests demanding his ouster that had suspended daily life in the country for nearly two weeks. |
| Armenian genocide: The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to formally recognize the Armenian genocide and denounce it, a symbolic vindication for the Armenian diaspora made possible by a new torrent of bipartisan furor at Turkey. The genocide happened in 1915 and killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. | Armenian genocide: The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to formally recognize the Armenian genocide and denounce it, a symbolic vindication for the Armenian diaspora made possible by a new torrent of bipartisan furor at Turkey. The genocide happened in 1915 and killed an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. |
| Belgium: A court allowed a new psychiatric exam of Marc Dutroux, who was given a life sentence for murders and rapes that shocked the country in the 1990s. The victory could eventually lead to his release on parole — but threatens to reopen old wounds in Belgium. | Belgium: A court allowed a new psychiatric exam of Marc Dutroux, who was given a life sentence for murders and rapes that shocked the country in the 1990s. The victory could eventually lead to his release on parole — but threatens to reopen old wounds in Belgium. |
| Grenfell Tower: A 1,000-page government report about Britain’s deadliest fire was harshly critical of the London Fire Brigade, asserting that some of 72 victims who died in 2017 would have survived if firefighters and emergency operators hadn’t told them to stay in their apartments. | Grenfell Tower: A 1,000-page government report about Britain’s deadliest fire was harshly critical of the London Fire Brigade, asserting that some of 72 victims who died in 2017 would have survived if firefighters and emergency operators hadn’t told them to stay in their apartments. |
| Royals: A group of 72 women in Britain’s Parliament condemned the “outdated, colonial undertones” of newspaper coverage of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in an open letter. The letter echoed the accusations Prince Harry made against the tabloids this month when he announced a lawsuit against them. | Royals: A group of 72 women in Britain’s Parliament condemned the “outdated, colonial undertones” of newspaper coverage of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in an open letter. The letter echoed the accusations Prince Harry made against the tabloids this month when he announced a lawsuit against them. |
| Snapshot: Above, Folsom Europe, a five-day festival of concerts and street parties in Berlin. It celebrates gay life, the leather scene and hard-won freedoms in Berlin. | Snapshot: Above, Folsom Europe, a five-day festival of concerts and street parties in Berlin. It celebrates gay life, the leather scene and hard-won freedoms in Berlin. |
| Generational divides: Millennials and Gen-Zers in the U.S. are fed up with older generations’ lack of action on climate change and their views on young people. So, they’ve come up with a phrase — “ok boomer,” referring to the Baby Boom generation — to dismiss them. (There are T-shirts.) | Generational divides: Millennials and Gen-Zers in the U.S. are fed up with older generations’ lack of action on climate change and their views on young people. So, they’ve come up with a phrase — “ok boomer,” referring to the Baby Boom generation — to dismiss them. (There are T-shirts.) |
| What we’re reading: This Boston Globe article. “Charles Ogletree is a giant of the legal world and has been a brilliant presence at Harvard for decades,” writes Carolyn Ryan, our assistant managing editor and a Boston native. “This story captures the tender journey he and his wife are on now, as he recedes from public life with Alzheimer’s, and she lovingly cares for him.” | What we’re reading: This Boston Globe article. “Charles Ogletree is a giant of the legal world and has been a brilliant presence at Harvard for decades,” writes Carolyn Ryan, our assistant managing editor and a Boston native. “This story captures the tender journey he and his wife are on now, as he recedes from public life with Alzheimer’s, and she lovingly cares for him.” |
| Cook: Apple cider whoopie pies, cakelike cookie sandwiches dusted in cinnamon sugar, are inspired by classic apple cider doughnuts. | Cook: Apple cider whoopie pies, cakelike cookie sandwiches dusted in cinnamon sugar, are inspired by classic apple cider doughnuts. |
| Watch: We’ve rounded up some devilish films on Netflix that will have even the most brave souls jumping at shadows. | Watch: We’ve rounded up some devilish films on Netflix that will have even the most brave souls jumping at shadows. |
| Read: The 10-year-old siblings at the heart of the new book “Nothing to See Here” have a little problem: Whenever they experience intense emotion, they burst into flames. | Read: The 10-year-old siblings at the heart of the new book “Nothing to See Here” have a little problem: Whenever they experience intense emotion, they burst into flames. |
| Smarter Living: Solitude gets a pretty bad rap. But experts say taking time for yourself can help you better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout. If you’re having trouble following through, start with something simple, like spending 30 minutes a week reading at a cafe. | Smarter Living: Solitude gets a pretty bad rap. But experts say taking time for yourself can help you better handle negative emotions and experiences, like stress and burnout. If you’re having trouble following through, start with something simple, like spending 30 minutes a week reading at a cafe. |
| And in our Ethicist column, a writer asks whether she should tell her adult children the story of the affair that ended her marriage years ago. | And in our Ethicist column, a writer asks whether she should tell her adult children the story of the affair that ended her marriage years ago. |
| John Legend and Kelly Clarkson are releasing a reworked version of the holiday classic, whose original lyrics have not aged well in the #MeToo era. | John Legend and Kelly Clarkson are releasing a reworked version of the holiday classic, whose original lyrics have not aged well in the #MeToo era. |
| The song, written in 1944, has a surprising history — including a small role in the history of Islamic fundamentalism. Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian scholar whose writings influenced Osama bin Laden, was radicalized during a stay in 1950s Colorado, where “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was played during a church dance. | The song, written in 1944, has a surprising history — including a small role in the history of Islamic fundamentalism. Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian scholar whose writings influenced Osama bin Laden, was radicalized during a stay in 1950s Colorado, where “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was played during a church dance. |
| Critics say the song depicts a man refusing to take “no” for an answer. Complicating matters, there have been versions with women playing the aggressor — including one where Miss Piggy pursues a towel-clad Rudolf Nureyev. In the reimagined version, Clarkson sings “I’ve got to go away,” to which Legend responds, “I can call you a ride.” | Critics say the song depicts a man refusing to take “no” for an answer. Complicating matters, there have been versions with women playing the aggressor — including one where Miss Piggy pursues a towel-clad Rudolf Nureyev. In the reimagined version, Clarkson sings “I’ve got to go away,” to which Legend responds, “I can call you a ride.” |
| “What will my friends think?” | “What will my friends think?” |
| “I think they should rejoice.” | “I think they should rejoice.” |
| “If I have one more drink?” | “If I have one more drink?” |
| “It’s your body, and your choice.” | “It’s your body, and your choice.” |
| That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. | That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. |
| — Melina | — Melina |
| Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Adam Pasick, on the briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. | Thank youTo Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Adam Pasick, on the briefings team, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. |
| P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Part of a Santa costume (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Our Book Review is now including excerpts from the opening chapters of books with selected reviews. | P.S.• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Part of a Santa costume (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Our Book Review is now including excerpts from the opening chapters of books with selected reviews. |