10 things you need to know today: October 6, 2019

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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1. Second whistleblower interviewed by intelligence community internal watchdog
2. Shooting at private Kansas bar kills 4, wounds 5
3. North Korea breaks off talks, U.S. not ready to do so
4. Hong Kong emergency law appears to backfire as protesters return in force
5. Pompeo says State Department will 'obviously' follow law during impeachment inquiry
6. Iraqi government plans reforms in wake of protests
7. Witness in Amber Guyger murder trial fatally shot in Dallas
8. Voters head to the polls in Tunisia, Kosovo, Portugal
9. NASA reschedules first all-female spacewalk
10. Ginger Baker, drummer from Cream, dies at 80

published 6 October 2019

1. Second whistleblower interviewed by intelligence community internal watchdog

A second whistleblower who reportedly has first-hand knowledge of President Trump's communications with Ukraine's government has spoken with the intelligence community's inspector general, Mark Zaid, the lawyer representing the official, confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported that a second whistleblower was considering filing a formal complaint against the president. While Zaid confirmed that he is representing a second official, it is not clear if the person referenced in the Times report is his client. The second whistleblower allegedly has more direct information than the first whistleblower whose complaint about Trump's Ukraine dealings spurred the congressional impeachment inquiry.

Nine people were reportedly shot at a private, members-only bar in Kansas City, Kansas, early Sunday, police said while acknowledging they know very little about the situation. The suspect, who is reportedly on the run, allegedly entered the bar and started shooting, killing four people and wounding five others, who were hospitalized and are reportedly now in stable condition. Police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident, but the suspect and motive remain unclear. "We do not have a good enough description yet to put out anything for a suspect, or suspects," police spokesman Thomas Tomasic said. "We don't even know how many."

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North Korea said nuclear talks with the United States broke down again after the two sides met in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday in an attempt to revive negotiations after months of stalemate. Pyongyang's chief negotiator, Kim Myong Gil, blamed the U.S. for being inflexible and said that Washington would not "give up their old viewpoint and attitude." The U.S. did not agree with North Korea's sentiment, however, and even accepted Sweden's invitation to return to Stockholm in two weeks for another round of talks. "The U.S. brought creative ideas and had good discussions with its DPRK counterparts," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "The United States and the DPRK will not overcome a legacy of 70 years of war and hostility on the Korean peninsula through the course of a single Saturday."

Hong Kong's recent ban on protesters wearing masks, which was implemented after Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked a colonial-era emergency law, appears to have failed as thousands of demonstrators returned to the streets for the 18th consecutive weekend of anti-government protests Sunday. Many of them continued to cover their faces. The rallies grew more chaotic and violent as the day went on. Protesters reportedly set fires, damaged banks and subways, and constructed road barricades, while police fired tear gas and other projectiles. A taxi driver was reportedly beaten by a mob in one district. "It's backfired," one protester said, referring to the emergency law. "It's made us more angry."

Speaking at a public meeting in Athens, Greece, on Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the State Department will "obviously do all the things that we're required to do by law" during the House's impeachment inquiry of President Trump and his communications with Ukraine, despite the fact that he thinks it's a "silly gotcha game." Pompeo is one of several Trump administration officials who has been subpoenaed by Congress for documents related to the inquiry. Pompeo also defended Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which Trump has been accused of pressuring Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter. "There has been some suggestion somehow that it would be inappropriate for the United States government to engage in that activity and I see it just precisely the opposite," Pompeo said.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi's cabinet has issued a series of reforms in response to mass anti-government protests that sprouted up throughout the country in recent days. More than 100 people have died during the protests, which are reportedly centered around corruption, unemployment, and poor public services. In response, the government shut down the internet, set a curfew, and deployed security forces to quell the demonstrations before the cabinet sat down to draw up a plan. Among the planned reforms are land distributions, military enlistment, and increased welfare stipends for families. The government also reportedly said it would create large market complexes and increase benefits for those without work, as the country's youth unemployment sits at around 25 percent, per the World Bank.

Joshua Brown, who served as a key witness in the murder trial of former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, was reportedly fatally shot Friday in the parking lot of his apartment complex. The 28-year-old testified during Guyger's trial, saying he overheard gunshots in his apartment complex where his neighbor across the hall, Botham Jean, was shot and killed by Guyger, who said she mistook Jean's apartment for her own and shot him thinking he was a burglar. Dallas police responded to a shooting Friday, and found Brown lying on the ground at the scene. He was transported to a hospital where he died of his injuries. There is no suspect information at the time. Brown "had no known enemies," his attorney said.

Voters are heading to the polls in Portugal, Kosovo, and Tunisia on Sunday. Tunisia, which is facing inflation and high unemployment, is holding its second parliamentary elections since adopting its current constitution in 2014. The legislative race is expected to end with no clear winner. Kosovo's voters are heading to the polls for snap elections, which are taking place after Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned in July after being summoned to appear before a war crimes court. Two opposition parties are viewed as frontrunners as people are reportedly dissatisfied with the country's "deep-rooted corruption." In Portugal, incumbent Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialist Party is considered the favorite, though it's unclear if they will secure a parliamentary majority.

The first-ever all-female spacewalk has been scheduled for Oct. 21, NASA announced seven months after the agency initially canceled such a walk because they did not have properly fitted spacesuits. Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will venture outside of the International Space Station to install lithium-ion batteries, which reportedly will better serve the station's power supply. It will be the fourth of 10 walks scheduled over the course of the next three months. "I think it's important because of the historical nature of what we're doing and in the past, women haven't always been at the table," Koch said. "And it's wonderful to be contributing to the human spaceflight program at a time when all contributions are being accepted."

Ginger Baker, the drummer and co-founder of the band Cream, died on Sunday morning at the age of 80. Baker's family had previously told the public that he was critically ill. Born Peter Edward Baker before receiving the nickname "Ginger" on account of his red hair, The Guardian described the U.K. native as "one of the most brilliant, versatile, and turbulent drummers in the history of British music," while BBC called him "one of the most innovative and influential drummers in rock music." He was known for combining elements of jazz, which he was trained in, with rock music, and for his temperamental nature.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.