Today's Headlines and Commentary

On Thursday, Fiona Hill and David Holmes testified as part of the impeachment inquiry, during which Hill said, “I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a U.S. adversary, and that Ukraine — not Russia — attacked us in 2016,” reports the Washington Post.

Senior White House officials and a group of Republican senators met privately to strategize in preparation for a potential impeachment trial of President Trump, according to the Post. They reportedly discussed limiting the proceedings to two weeks.

President Trump averted a government shutdown by signing a short-term funding bill on Thursday, reports CNN.

On Friday morning, President Trump suggested that he may veto legislation that would support protesters in Hong Kong due to concerns that it could negatively impact trade negotiations with China, reports the Post.

A former FBI lawyer is under criminal investigation for allegedly altering a document related to 2016 surveillance of Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide, according to CNN.

South Korea reversed an August decision to abandon a military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan, according to the New York Times. Officials temporarily extended the intelligence-sharing deal on Friday.

The Times also reports that an estimated 207,000 protesters have taken to the streets in Colombia over a variety of complaints against President Iván Duque and state policies.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Elena Kagan shared the final “No Bull” episode of The Lawfare Podcast for this week that includes the substantive exchanges from Thursday’s impeachment hearing with Fiona Hill and David Holmes.

Scott R. Anderson discussed the implications of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement about the U.S. position on the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Jen Patja Howell shared this week’s episode of Rational Security, which features Margaret Taylor, Benjamin Wittes, Susan Hennessey and Shane Harris in conversation about the impeachment hearings and the indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Howell also shared the latest episode in the Arbiters of Truth series of The Lawfare Podcast, in which Quinta Jurecic, Evelyn Douek and Alina Polyakova spoke with Ben Nimmo about countering disinformation campaigns.

Peter Margulies explored the hurdles the Department of Homeland Security faces while implementing asylum cooperation agreements with Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Robert Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared an episode of The National Security Law Podcast, that covers the impeachment inquiry, Trump’s pardoning of soldiers, the shift in U.S. policy on Israeli settlements and more.

Gordon Ahl posted full video coverage of Thursday’s impeachment inquiry hearing. Jacob Schulz posted the opening statement of David Holmes, and Quinta Jurecic posted the statement of Fiona Hill.