10 things you need to know today: October 23, 2019

1. Envoy says Ukraine aid hinged on Biden investigation

William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, told House impeachment investigators on Tuesday that President Trump withheld security aide and refused to meet with the country's new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, unless he publicly promised to investigate Democrats, including Trump's potential 2020 election rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Taylor based his testimony on extensive notes he took at the time, and told lawmakers that Trump's back channel diplomacy, led by his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, threatened to damage America's relationship with a key Eastern European ally. Democrats called Taylor's account a "disturbing" confirmation of a quid pro quo, with Trump holding back congressionally approved aid for political gain.

The New York Times The Associated Press

2. Trump calls impeachment inquiry a 'lynching,' faces backlash

President Trump on Tuesday lashed out at House Democrats' impeachment inquiry, calling it a "lynching." Trump has previously called the investigation a "witch hunt" and "fraud," but his use of a term primarily used to refer to murders of African Americans drew swift criticism from Democrats. "Do you know how many people who look like me have been lynched, since the inception of this country, by people who look like you," Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) tweeted, adding, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) said Trump's wording followed a pattern of "racial bombs" Trump has used as "red meat" for his base.

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Donald J. Trump CNN

3. U.K. lawmakers reject Johnson's request to fast-track Brexit deal

Britain's Parliament fueled new uncertainty about Brexit on Tuesday. Lawmakers voted to support Prime Minister Boris Johnson's deal with the European Union in principle, but then rejected Johnson's plan for fast-tracking full approval in time for the U.K. to leave the trading bloc on Oct. 31 as scheduled. Johnson said the votes resulted in "further uncertainty," and he warned that his government was moving ahead with its plan to exit the EU at the end of the month with or without a deal. "One way or another, we will leave the EU with this deal, to which this house has just given its assent," he said. The European Union is due to rule on the British government's request for a delay.

The Washington Post CNBC

4. Russia, Turkey agree to remove Kurds from northern Syria to create 'safe zone'

Russia and Turkey agreed to extend their ceasefire in northern Syria in order to "remove" Kurdish fighters from the area after a meeting between Russian President Vladamir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Turkey views the Kurds, who are American allies, as a terrorist threat, and began attacking them within hours of President Trump announcing the U.S.'s withdrawal from the area. Trump later bragged that he'd brokered a five-day ceasefire between Turkey and the fighters. Turkey said it would extend that ceasefire for another six days so the Kurds could leave northern Syria, after which Russia and Turkey would jointly patrol the region. The area will then become a "buffer zone" between Turkey and Syria, which is allied with Russia.

The Wall Street Journal The Washington Post

5. Jimmy Carter hospitalized with pelvis fracture after fall

Former President Jimmy Carter has been hospitalized with a minor pelvis fracture after falling at his home in Plains, Georgia, Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo said Tuesday. It was the 95-year-old Carter's third fall in recent months. Carter got hip replacement surgery after the first fall, in the spring, and 14 stitches after a second one on Oct. 6. Congileo said Carter is in good spirits and eager to get home. Carter, the longest lived president in U.S. history, also survived a 2015 brain cancer diagnosis. Last month he said in his annual Carter Center address that it might be his last one, and he hoped the center would continue advocating against armed conflict. "I just want to keep the whole world at peace," Carter said.

The Associated Press NPR

6. Anonymous Trump administration op-ed writer has a book coming out

The anonymous Trump administration official who wrote an op-ed published in The New York Times just over a year ago describing internal resistance to President Trump has written a book due to be published next month. In the op-ed, the author said senior Trump administration officials were "working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." The book, titled A Warning, will be published by Twelve, a division of Hachette Book Group. It will come out Nov. 19, the publisher said Tuesday. The author will remain anonymous. Twelve said the author received no advance and will donate all royalties to nonprofit organizations dedicated to government accountability and press freedom.

The New York Times

7. Hong Kong legislators officially scrap extradition bill that prompted protests

Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday formally withdrew a bill that would have allowed the extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China. The proposal was the spark for months of unrest. The bill was suspended after weeks of massive protests, but pro-democracy activists have continued to hold rallies and clash with police. Demonstrators are calling on the government to meet a list of demands, including investigating police brutality allegations and holding direct elections. Carrie Lam, leader of the Chinese semi-autonomous financial hub and former British colony, had long said the extradition bill was off the table, but that the democratic reforms protesters are calling for are beyond her control. Protesters want Lam to resign.

Reuters

8. Affordable Care Act premiums to drop in 2020

Premiums for the most popular health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act's federal marketplace will drop next year by 4 percent, according to the federal government. The price drop is only the second year-to-year decline since the marketplace opened in 2014. The number of insurers participating will rise. The Trump administration took credit for the changes while renewing its criticism of former President Barack Obama's health-reform law. "The ACA simply doesn't work and is still unaffordable for far too many," Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, said Monday. "But until Congress gets around to replacing it, President Trump will do what he can to fix the problems created by this system for millions of Americans."

The New York Times CNN

9. Lori Loughlin among parents facing new charges in college admissions scandal

Prosecutors on Tuesday filed new charges against Full House actor Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband, and nine other parents in the national college admissions scandal. A Boston federal grand jury indicted the parents on allegations that they tried to bribe officials at an organization that receives federal funding. The parents are accused of paying to get their children into the University of Southern California. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison, plus fines up to $250,000. Thirty-five wealthy parents have been charged in the scandal for trying to get their children admitted into top universities through such means as cheating on SAT and ACT exams and bribing coaches to get them admitted as recruited athletes.

The Associated Press

10. Nationals beat Astros in Game 1 of World Series

The Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros 5-4 in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday night. The Nationals were led by 20-year-old Juan Soto, who had three hits and drove in three of the Nationals' five runs, and Ryan Zimmerman, who hit the team's first home run. Soto's two-run double in the fifth inning gave the Nationals a 5-2 lead, putting them up for good. With the win, Washington earned its first-ever victory in a World Series game, and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at Houston's Minute Maid Park, with Justin Verlander expected to pitch for the Astros and Stephen Strasburg for the Nationals.

CBS Sports