It could be a very interesting day in politics, so brew that coffee strong. More on that, plus everything else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.
1. Russia investigation
We could see the first arrests in connection with the ongoing Russia investigation today, and that could be, to put it mildly, a game changer. On Friday, a federal grand jury in Washington approved the first charges.
This has caused some unease in Washington, as the consequences of such charges could cause an array of complications even if no arrests are made. At the very least, it’ll make it harder for Trump and his team to pass off the investigation as a Clinton- or Democrat-led smear campaign. At worst, any arrests that are made could be the first move in dismantling the President’s inner circle.
2. Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey is the latest Hollywood personality to be in the spotlight of an increasingly large movement that has called out high-profile predators and harassers.
Yesterday, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making a sexual advance at him when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. In response, Spacey released a statement saying he was “beyond horrified” by the story, and “honestly” does not remember the encounter. “But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,” he wrote.
3. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s power authority is working to cancel a controversial contract it awarded to a small Montana-based utility company in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The $300 million deal with Whitefish Energy has drawn widespread scrutiny. For one, the company’s only two years old and had just a few employees at the time the storm hit. It’s also based in the small hometown of US Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Zinke says he had nothing to do with the contract, and the White House has also said it’s “not aware of any federal involvement in the selection.”
4. Green Beret death
The Navy is investigating whether two members of the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six killed an Army Green Beret in Mali. Army Staff Sgt. Logan J. Melgar died in June, reportedly of strangulation, while on assignment in the African nation. Melgar was a member of the 3rd Special Forces Group, the primary unit responsible for Army special operations in northwest Africa. The four American soldiers killed in Niger earlier this month were part of the same group.
5. Catalonia
Hundreds of thousands of anti-independence protesters rallied in the Catalan capital of Barcelona yesterday after Madrid took unprecedented measures to quash the region’s bid to split from Spain.
The protest comes as tensions spiked following the Catalan Parliament’s vote Friday to declare unilateral independence.
Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has urged his supporters to pursue “democratic opposition” to the moves by Madrid, which have included dissolving the region’s government and calling snap elections for December 21.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
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The Astros beat the Dodgers in a wild World Series Game 5
If you’re slacking at work today, just blame the baseball. (The Astros lead the series 3-2 now.)
Saudi Arabia will allow women in sports stadiums starting next year
That’s a pretty big deal, seeing as women were just granted the right to drive in the country in September.
President Trump and Michael Moore beefed about Broadway on Twitter
You know, just a totally normal sentence.
Walmart is going to add more robots in its stores
The totally peaceful critters will work alongside employees to help scan inventory and definitely not serve as harbingers of a robot uprising.
The screen on Apple’s new $1000 iPhone X will cost $275 to repair
Moral of the story? DON’T DROP IT. Or manhandle it. Or use it at all. In fact, just keep it in the box where it’s nice and safe.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I guess you have really arrived when your brief suspension on Twitter is national news.”
Roger Stone, a prominent Trump associate, after being suspended by Twitter for sending threatening tweets to CNN personalities over the weekend
NUMBER OF THE DAY
85%
The amount of opioids in the world that are consumed by the US alone, according to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
AND FINALLY …
Don’t blink!
The only thing cooler than watching this guy set a NEW WORLD RECORD for solving a Rubik’s Cube is seeing how happy everyone is for him :)