Wednesday, Nov 20, 2019 | View in browser

Good morning.

We’re covering more testimony in the impeachment inquiry, Beijing’s warning to Hong Kong and a tale of survival in Texas.

By Mike Ives

Jennifer Williams and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified on Tuesday that not one national security official supported freezing security aid to Ukraine. Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times

Trump donor is next up in impeachment inquiry

The House investigation hears testimony today from perhaps the most significant witness on the public schedule: Gordon Sondland, the Trump donor who is ambassador to the European Union. So far, he is the only witness cooperating with the inquiry who dealt directly with President Trump on Ukraine.

Mr. Sondland is likely to face tough questions about holes and inconsistencies in his closed-door testimony, which he has already amended once.

The proceedings start at 9 a.m. Eastern. The Times will stream them live, and our reporters will provide real-time context and analysis. Here’s what to expect.

Catch up: We break down the key moments of Tuesday’s hearing, in which two White House national security officials recalled their concerns about the president’s conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Quotable: “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing,” one of the officials, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, said of Mr. Trump’s request to the Ukrainian president. “It was probably an element of shock — that maybe, in certain regards, my worst fear of how our Ukraine policy could play out was playing out, and how this was likely to have significant implications for U.S. national security.”

Closer look: Colonel Vindman testified in his Army dress uniform. It was “the ultimate witness power move,” our reporter writes.

News analysis: Mr. Trump has publicly denounced people who work in the White House. Even for a president who rarely spares the rhetorical howitzer, this was new, our chief White House correspondent writes.

Breaking down the next Democratic debate

Ten presidential candidates will take the stage in Atlanta tonight for the contest, which starts at 9 p.m. Eastern on MSNBC.

Four runners lead the pack: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Here’s our analysis of how things stand.

Closer look: Much of the Democratic race has focused on taxes aimed at billionaires. But leading policy proposals would hit high-income professionals, not just the superrich.

Tell us: The candidates have spent the most debate time discussing health care, followed by foreign policy and immigration. Tell us which issues matter most to you.

Related: MSNBC is part of NBC News, which has faced criticism over its handling of sexual harassment and misconduct. On Tuesday, four candidates called for an outside review of its workplace culture.

Demonstrators clashed with the police on Sunday near Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times

U.S. bill backs Hong Kong protesters

Congress passed a measure on Tuesday that requires penalties for Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses — and mandates an annual review of Hong Kong’s trade status.

The bill passed with a veto-proof majority. That puts pressure on President Trump, who has not spoken about the measure or strongly expressed support for the activists whose street demonstrations have roiled Hong Kong since June.

The U.S. bill was passed hours after Beijing warned that it could use its authority to overrule Hong Kong’s judiciary.

Timeline: See the moments that have defined the protests.

Another angle: The parents of young people under siege at a Hong Kong university have rallied to their defense.

Related: A former employee of Britain’s consulate in Hong Kong said the Chinese police tortured him in August as they sought information about what they alleged was foreign interference in the protests.

52 Places traveler: Our columnist, who lived in Hong Kong as a child, returned to find evidence of upheaval everywhere.

Luis Calvillo, 33, with the girls' soccer team he coaches, the El Paso Fusion. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times

Surviving the El Paso shooting

Luis Calvillo, who served in Iraq, was shot with an AK-47-style rifle outside a Texas Walmart in August. The gunfire that day left two dozen injured and 22 dead, including his father.

“We didn’t deserve this,” said Mr. Calvillo, who was shot twice in his left leg and three times in his back. “We’re good people. We’re not bad people. And this dude just came to ruin everything.”

Times journalists followed Mr. Calvillo through his recovery. Some secrets to his success? Being a father in a hospital gown, and a soccer coach from his sick bed.

In memoriam: Kim Gervais, a California woman who was shot and paralyzed two years ago in the Las Vegas shooting, has died. She was 57 and had been the subject of a Times article about her experiences.

If you have a few minutes, this is worth it

Thanksgiving in a conflict zone

Mayco Cortes

Our reporter asked American troops what it was like to celebrate the holiday while at war in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Like combat itself, their experiences spanned scarcity and excess, spectacle and sorrow, isolation and crowds.

A common theme was the longing for home. In one case, Afghan soldiers near a U.S. Army base found a live turkey and prepared it for American colleagues. “It may not have been the tastiest bird I’ve ever eaten,” a recipient recalled, “but it was the one I was definitely most thankful for.”

Here’s what else is happening

Iran protests: Amnesty International said that at least 106 people in 21 cities had been killed over the course of antigovernment demonstrations.

Bolivia unrest: At least five people died in clashes outside an important fuel depot that had been blockaded by supporters of the ousted president.

Afghanistan crash: Two American service members died today in a helicopter crash, the military said, bringing the number of U.S. troops killed this year during combat operations to 19.

Crisis at Syracuse: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York called for an outside monitor after a series of racist incidents at the university.

Julian Assange: Swedish prosecutors ended a rape investigation of the WikiLeaks founder. He remains in a British prison awaiting a U.S. extradition hearing.

Hitler’s childhood home: The Austrian authorities said that they would turn the house into a police station to deter neo-Nazi pilgrims.

Rinko Kawauchi's "Untitled," from the series "Approaching Whiteness" (2011). © Rinko Kawauchi, courtesy of RoseGallery

Snapshot: Japanese aesthetics are founded on a “constant, continual recognition of the changing seasons,” the editor of T Magazine wrote in an essay about cherry blossoms.

Grammy Awards: Nominations are to be announced at 8:45 a.m. Eastern. Check nytimes.com for the full list.

Late-night comedy: Seth Meyers said the only person trying to sabotage Mr. Trump was himself. “I mean, the guy commits crimes then goes on TV and confesses to them. Honestly, there’s a chance he’s trying to get impeached so he can collect unemployment.”

What we’re reading: This from NJ.com. Randy Archibold, our sports editor, writes, “This column about a coach on trial for ordering a young baseball player to slide tells us so much about the stresses in youth sports, where routine play has turned into a high-stakes gambit.”

Now, a break from the news

Craig Lee for The New York Times

Cook: Millionaire’s shortbread is a simple yet flashy treat.

Eat: The new chef at Gotham Bar and Grill in Manhattan “turns vegetables into compelling events,” our restaurant critic writes.

Listen: Leonard Cohen released “You Want It Darker” 19 days before his death in 2016. His son has finished more songs for a posthumous album that will be released on Friday.

Smarter Living: Sharing a meal with loved ones or co-workers may seem like a chore, but research shows it has real benefits.

And now for the Back Story on …

Two heroes of comics’ golden age

A pair of important characters debuted in Flash Comics No. 1 80 years ago today.

Flash (Jay Garrick, a college student) and Hawkman (Carter Hall, an archaeologist) would run and soar in the so-called golden age of comic books, which lasted from about 1938 to about 1950, when interest in superheroes ebbed.

In the mid-1950s, the start of the “silver age,” superheroes rebounded, bolstered by a new Flash (Barry Allen, a forensic scientist), a new Hawkman (Katar Hol, an alien police detective) and others.

A twist came in 1961’s Flash No. 123, by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, which linked the two incarnations of Flash: Jay was real on his world (Earth Two), but fictional on Barry’s (Earth One).

This would lead to the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, when the silver age ended and Barry died, in a moving, heroic and definitive ending — which was tarnished by his return in 2008.

Ah, comics.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Mike

Thank you
Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. George Gustines, an editor who covers the comic book industry for The Times, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about Kamala Harris.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Something to bid while leaving (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Hillary Chute and Ed Park have been named comics and graphic novels columnists for The New York Times Book Review.