Impeachment Corner!
Today’s big news is that Representative Adam Schiff has announced that the first of the public hearings will begin next week:
Next week, the House Intelligence Committee will hold its first open hearings as part of the impeachment inquiry.
On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, we will hear from William Taylor and George Kent.
On Friday, November 15, 2019, we will hear from Marie Yovanovitch.
More to come.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 6, 2019
A week from today, Ambassador to Ukraine, William “Bill” Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent will testify before the House Intelligence Committee. Then on Friday, the 15th, former Ukraine ambassador and Giuliani’s favorite target, Marie Yovanovitch will testify. I assume both hearings will be on all of the teevees.
A quick reminder of who these folks are:
Bill Taylor is a career diplomat (and Bronze Star-winning veteran of the Vietnam War) who had been the ambassador to Ukraine under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He replaced Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch when she was removed from the position for the offense of getting in Rudy Giuliani’s way when he was busily scheming against Joe Biden and Ukraine in general. Taylor is still currently the Ambassador to Ukraine.
Taylor was included in some of the text messages that Special Envoy Kurt Volker gave to Congress in which he expressed his alarm that the United States was withholding military aid to Ukraine to Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland. In response, Sondland urged Taylor to call him (because CRIMES that Sondland did not want in writing!). Later, Sondland texted Taylor to say that President Quid Pro Quo was definitely not committing a quid pro quo. Taylor was definitely NOT BUYING IT.
In related news: Taylor’s deposition has been released today and considering he’s the Democrats’ top witness, it should be goooooood.
As for George Kent, he’s the State Department guy who was one of the experts on Ukraine who was basically told by acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to not worry his pretty little head about Ukraine, that the “Three Amigos,” Sondland, Kurt Volker and Rick Perry, were now in charge of Ukraine policy.
He’ll have plenty to say about Giuliani’s “shadow policy” methinks.
Then there is Marie Yovanovitch who was attacked by the likes of Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson before she was removed from her position because she told Rudy Giuliani that he had to work through official channels. She was then mentioned in The Phone Call when the President of the United States intimated to the President of Ukraine that “she’s going to go through some things” which IS FUCKING. CREEPY.
Anyway, these hearings are going to make for some good TV, so clear your DVRs if political intrigue is your jam.
Today’s other big story is that Dummy Jr., he’s tweeted out the Whistleblower’s name.
Apparently, this name has been floating around in the right-wing media for some time now, but make no mistake, this is witness tampering and intimidation. Now the name — whether it is or isn’t the whistleblower — is all over Twitter, and the lies and propaganda are already everywhere. I genuinely fear for this person’s safety and for their family’s safety. This is genuinely disgusting and disturbing and not for hte least of which that IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO THE WHISTLEBLOWER IS — HIS REPORT HAS BEEN CORROBORATED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. LITERALLY.
The entire media is #Triggered that I (a private citizen) tweeted out a story naming the alleged whistleblower. Are they going to pretend that his name hasn’t been in the public domain for weeks now? Numerous people & news outlets including Real Clear Politics already ID’d him. https://t.co/bcamyTaXP3
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 6, 2019
To the thugs tweeting out the name of a purported whistleblower: This may or may not be the whistleblower, but you are endangering the safety of every member of this person's family. This sort of intimidation tactic is for broken authoritarian countries and the mob. Shame on you!
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) November 6, 2019
Meanwhile, the Committee is still interviewing other witnesses in closed depositions. Today David Hale, the number 3 at the State Department, is testifying. According to Yovanovitch, she personally asked him to speak to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on her behalf … and then never heard back.
Three other witnesses — Russell T. Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget; T. Ulrich Brechbuhl, a counselor at the State Department who was among the officials listening in on Mr. Trump’s July 25 call with the president of Ukraine; and Rick Perry, the energy secretary — were asked to appear today but are not expected to show their faces. Mick Mulvaney is not expected to show up on Friday. Cowards.
Yesterday, the Intelligence Committee released two depositions: that of Gordon “Call Me” Sondland and Kurt Volker. The big news was that Sondland, once he saw what other people had testified to, was like, “OH WAIT! THAT QUID PRO QUO? When I said there was no quid pro quo, I thought you meant some OTHER quid pro quo. Yeah, I take that back, there was DEFINITELY quid pro quo.”
- Volker texted Ukrainian officials a SCRIPT they wanted them to read ON TV announcing an investigation.
- President Conspiracy Theory ranted to anyone who would listen about how Ukraine was trying to “take him down.”
- President Swiss Cheese Brain also instructed both men to “talk to Rudy” when they asked him about Ukraine.
- Only after The Phone Call did Volker find out there was no official Justice Department investigation into “corruption” in Ukraine.
- Sondland never saw a readout of The Phone Call until the rest of us did and he was SHOCKED! JUST SHOCKED!
- Sondland never put together Burisma with the Bidens until all of this began happening.
Speaking of the Bidens, the Senate Republicans looking for something ANYTHING, are considering trying to make the Senate impeachment trial about them. Yes, impeach Hunter Biden. By all means, idiots.
And Lindsey Graham, that little chipmunk who happens to be the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, he’s saying he’s not even going to read Sondland’s testimony.
“I'm not going to read these transcripts, the whole process is a joke,” @LindseyGrahamSC says on transcripts released by House committees leading the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. He adds: “They seem to be incapable of forming a quid pro quo.” pic.twitter.com/YISSkFeomw
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) November 6, 2019
Finally, yesterday was a Very Bad Day for Donald Jingles Trump: Kentucky elected a Democratic governor (although, the Republican Kentucky Senate is threatening to overturn the results because the only thing Republicans love more than blatant hypocrisy is disenfranchising folks).
Live footage of Mitch McConnell fleeing to Mexico after seeing the Kentucky election results #ByeByeBevin #BlueWave #MitchMcConnell pic.twitter.com/boCGyVnl5t
— Nik Childers (@Truckeepix) November 6, 2019
And Virginia turned both their House and their Senate blue for the first time in, like, FUCKING FOREVER. The suburbs, they hate President Everything Wrong with this Country, and it’s now evident the 2018 Blue Wave wasn’t a fluke.
In Other TV News
Phoebe Waller-Bridge told Vogue that she cut some abortion jokes from her Saturday Night Live monologue, and I have very mixed feelings about that: on the one hand, it’s a shame she didn’t feel like she could get away with it because women shouldn’t be silenced on political issues but on the other hand, it would have been red meat for the Right.
ATX Festival is setting reunions for Parenthood, Oz and Justified. June 4-7, kids.
There’s been some shakeup at HBO Max’s Dune: Sisterhood series as the showrunner has been removed.
Disney+ debuts in less than a week. Here’s some information about what will be available on the 12th. For me, the most important piece of information that is not included here is that you can pre-order Disney+, but if you want the Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle, you can’t order that until the launch day. That said if last night’s Little Mermaid Live! is any indication of what we might expect from the streamer …
Early numbers suggest that y’all are lukewarm on Apple TV+. Did the free episodes not convince you?
Get well soon, Catherine Deneuve.
Renewals
- MacGyver has been given more episodes for season 4 at CBS.
- Superstore has been given additional episodes for season 5 at NBC.
In Development
- A series based on the Joe Exotic podcast starring Kate McKinnon is in the works.
- Near Death and St. Bernie’s are in development at CBS.
- A female Zorro series has been set at CBS.
- We’re Here, an unscripted drag series, has been ordered by HBO.
- Narcos vs. Zombies has been bought by Amazon.
- Today’s Special, a sitcom from David Wain and AD Miles, has been ordered by WarnerMedia.
- Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina has been ordered for two seasons by Amazon.
- An all-female prank series from Clara Delevingne has been set at Quibi.
- Wisting has been picked up by Sundance Now.
Casting News
- Julianna Margulies and Corey Stoll will join Billions on Showtime.
- Josephine Langford has joined Moxie on Netflix.
- Rochelle Aytes is joining S.W.A.T. on CBS.
- SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THIS WEEK’S NCIS: NEW ORLEANS: Christopher Lasalle has left the series.
Mark Your Calendars
- Servant will debut on Apple TV+ on November 28 and is the series that might convince me to subscribe.
- Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings will premiere on Netflix on November 22.
- Reprisal will debut on Hulu on December 6.
- Hala will debut on Apple TV+ on December 6.
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience will do Good Times and All in the Family and it will air on ABC on December 18.
- Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways will air on NBC on December 10, 11, and 12. (So maybe don’t use the singular “night?”)
- Street Outlaws: Fastest in America will premiere on Discovery on January 20.
- Outrageous Holiday Houses will debut on November 28 on HGTV.
- The Disappearance of the Millbrook Twins will premiere on Oxygen on November 23.
R.I.P.
William B. Branch, Playwright
WATCH THIS
Stumptown: Dex has to protect her ex from a stalker. 9 p.m., ABC
The Real Housewives of New Jersey: These goombahs are back. Season premiere. 7 p.m., Bravo
The Apollo: A look at the classic Harlem theater’s storied history. 8 p.m., HBO
The Masked Singer: Back-to-back episodes. 7 p.m., Fox
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Henry Golding, Noomi Rapace, Dan White
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Jim Gaffigan, Jenny Slate, Muna, Brendan Buckley
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen, “MasterChef Junior” contestants
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: Wiz Khalifa, Zach Woods, Sara Bareilles
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Shia LaBeouf, Lil Rel Howery, Grace Potter
- The Daily Show: Julián Castro
- Conan: Willem Dafoe, Emily Catalano
- Lights Out with David Spade: Jen Kirkman, Jessica Kirson, Greg Fitzsimmons
- Watch What Happens Live: Michael Rapaport, Margaret Josephs
- A Little Late with Lily Singh: Ashley Graham
WEDS. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | The Goldbergs (new) |
Schooled (new) |
Modern Family (new) |
Single Parents (new) |
Stumptown (new) |
CBS | Survivor (new) |
SEAL Team (new) |
S.W.A.T. (new) |
CW | Riverdale (new) |
Nancy Drew (new) |
Local |
FOX | The Masked Singer (new) |
The Masked Singer (new) |
News/Local |
NBC | Chicago Med (live) |
Chicago Fire (new) |
Chicago P.D. (new) |