| Presented by The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates |
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Houston funeral service for George H.W. Bush: |
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About 1,200 invited guests will say goodbye to former President George H.W. Bush this morning at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston. The difference between yesterday's service and today's: Yesterday's funeral service was a formal state funeral for a former president. Today’s Houston funeral is more about George H.W. Bush as a person. What's happening after the funeral ceremony: Bush's casket travels by train to College Station, Texas, where he will be buried. https://nyti.ms/2AYZT04 Livestream of the funeral: https://cs.pn/2zUFUQL Livestream of Bush's interment at 5:15 p.m. EST: https://cs.pn/2KZxjjL |
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| SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: |
| Photo of the train that will transport Bush's body to College Station, Texas: http://bit.ly/2Ejro91 Tidbit about historian Jon Meacham's eulogy yesterday: Meacham read his eulogy to former President George H.W. Bush before he died. Bush's reaction: "That's a lot about me, Jon." (Via NBC's Willie Geist) http://bit.ly/2GfqMD9 Letter from Bush: Rep. Mark Sanford's (R-S.C.) son wrote a letter to "living legends" asking what they would say to their 20-year-old selves. Bush was the only one to respond. Read Bush's letter: http://bit.ly/2SrelFa Tidbit: 
From former Secretary of State James Baker: "James Baker says Bush 41's wish for a 'kinder, gentler' nation was not a cynical political act but set in motion of model of post presidency with their civic and philanthropic acts." http://bit.ly/2QhPU0v |
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| It's Thursday. I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com-- and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook. Did someone forward this to you? Want your own copy? Sign up here to receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox daily: http://bit.ly/2kjMNnn |
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| SPONSORED CONTENT - THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | |
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Two *clap* More *clap* Weeks*: |
| The House just passed a two-week spending bill to keep the government open until Dec. 21. I.e.: The border wall fight gets a two-week extension. http://bit.ly/2QdUltf |
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The market had A MORNING: |
| "The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged by almost 500 points Thursday morning, the first day of trading after U.S. authorities secured the arrest of a Chinese technology company executive, fueling fears that the trade war with China is heating up." http://bit.ly/2G4YStf What sparked this: "News broke late Wednesday that Canadian law enforcement had arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, a major Chinese tech firm that has been linked to the Chinese military. U.S. officials have requested her extradition, citing a suspected sanctions violation. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official on Thursday demanded Meng's release and called her detention a possible human rights violation." |
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Woulda, coulda, shoulda: |
| President Trump blamed special counsel Robert Mueller for his low approval rating. http://bit.ly/2UluQ7F He tweeted: "Without the phony Russia Witch Hunt, and with all that we have accomplished in the last almost two years (Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judge's, Military, Vets, etc.) my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen. It's called Presidential Harassment!" http://bit.ly/2KZQqKI Keep in mind from The Hill's Jordan Fabian: "The president's approval in the Rasmussen poll is higher than most other surveys. Gallup's tracking poll showed Trump's overall approval this week stands at 40 percent." http://bit.ly/2UluQ7F |
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It's not a border wall. It's a border WALL: |
| Four Republican senators introduced a bill for $25 billion to fund President Trump's border wall. http://bit.ly/2QBkdOX The bill's name: The WALL Act. How Republicans plan to pay for the bill: Cracking down on benefits for undocumented immigrants. Including: "Requiring that parents have a Social Security number to claim refundable tax credits, requiring any welfare applicants to prove they are a citizen and increasing minimum fines on individuals who cross the border illegally or overstay visas." Will this pass?: Nah, this bill likely won't go anywhere. The current bills to fund the border wall: The House's bill would allocate $5 billion to the wall; the Senate's bill would provide $1.6 billion. WALL FOR DACA?: This morning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "says she would NOT support wall funding in exchange for a deal on DACA. Calls them two totally different subjects." http://bit.ly/2L2lFEI |
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George Papadopoulos is a hardened criminal now: |
| Via Politico's Kyle Cheney, today is former Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos's last day in prison. The charge: Lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign. What day he went to prison: Nov. 26. http://bit.ly/2E54ktq |
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Breaking — North Carolina GOP calls for an election investigation: |
| "Senior North Carolina Republican officials on Thursday called for a bipartisan investigation into claims of absentee ballot fraud in one of the most closely divided U.S. House races in the country. In a press conference in Raleigh, three Republican state senators who represent parts of North Carolina’s 9th congressional district asked Gov. Roy Cooper (D) to create a bipartisan task force to investigate allegations that a contractor working for Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris was illegally urging people to collect voters' absentee ballots." http://bit.ly/2L1NpJE |
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Because everyone and their mother is running in 2020: |
| Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D): Hickenlooper is interviewing dozens of potential aides to expand his staff. http://bit.ly/2Ef9fJp Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Bloomberg is releasing an updated biography next month. The name -- you'll never guess it: "Bloomberg by Bloomberg, Updated." http://bit.ly/2E1AXrU Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas): O'Rourke is talking to former Obama operatives in Iowa and New Hampshire. https://cnb.cx/2zMWnpO |
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Except these people so far: |
| New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ruled it out last month. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) announced he won't run because of the "cruelty" of the election process. https://cnn.it/2Qe1fi6 Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, said on Tuesday he won't run. What these exits mean for the 2020 Democratic primary: http://bit.ly/2Ugd1H0 |
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'Wake up, dudes': |
| Via The Hill's Melanie Zanona, "Republican men and women are deeply divided over how to confront the results of a brutal midterm election that decimated the ranks of female GOP lawmakers in the House." http://bit.ly/2SsfGvw Most House Republicans: "Most House Republicans have so far shown little appetite for performing an autopsy on the 2018 election cycle and publicly identifying the root of their tough losses, which were stark among female voters, particularly in the suburbs." But then others: "But a vocal chorus of Republican women has been sounding the alarm to address what they view as a crisis, calling on party leaders to be more aggressive in devising a strategy to reverse the trend by the next election cycle." |
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A U.S. soldier and a patriotic pup died in Afghanistan: |
| A clash in Afghanistan led to the death of Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, whose death was previously reported, and Multi-Purpose Canine Maiko. From a spokesperson: "The actions of Maiko directly saved the life of his handler ... and other Rangers." http://bit.ly/2RDoAXf |
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LOL: |
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Billinson then tweeted: "I was at their house TWO days ago, all of you need to stop taking her side all the time." The replies to this tweet are pretty funny: http://bit.ly/2AUb6PC He then added a screenshot to prove: "And we spoke on the phone three times yesterday trying to teach her how to use an InstantPot. I AM NOT A BAD SON" http://bit.ly/2FYq10S |
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| SPONSORED CONTENT - THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | |
| New education and health initiatives launched alongside the 2019 Special Olympics World Games will have a lasting impact on social inclusion in the UAE and the region. Learn more. |
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| The Senate is in. The House is out. President Trump and Vice President Pence are both in Washington, D.C. 11:30 a.m. EST: President Trump received an intelligence briefing. 12:30 p.m. EST: President Trump has lunch with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. 1:45 p.m. EST: The Senate votes. 4 p.m. EST: President Trump speaks at a Hanukkah reception. Vice President Pence attends. 8 p.m. EST: President Trump speaks at a Hanukkah reception. Vice President Pence attends. |
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| 2 p.m. EST: The Business Roundtable CEO Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. Featured speakers: Ivanka Trump, JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jamie Dimon, Walmart's Doug McMillon and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) Details and livestream: http://bit.ly/2G35V5A Livestream of Bush's interment at 5:15 p.m. EST: https://cs.pn/2KZxjjL |
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| Today is National Gazpacho Day. |
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This isn't helping your likeability, Harvard: |
| A Harvard professor told The New York Times that a serving of French fries should include six fries. I repeat: A side of fries should come with six individual fries, according to Harvard professor Eric Rimm. https://nyti.ms/2rn9LMH The internet didn't take that news kindly: The responses are pretty funny: http://bit.ly/2FYqOPo "Seriously. I average 6 fries a bite." http://bit.ly/2AYCzQl "I've never felt so attacked." http://bit.ly/2KYZ387 |
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| And because you made it to the end, here's a dog who is not pleased by his vegan pals: http://bit.ly/2UgkCFw |
