Page 8 The Skanner Portland & Seattle September 25, 2019
News
World News Briefs
34 TH ANNUAL
MARTIN LUTHER
KING JR.
BREAKFAST
MONDAY
JAN. 20
2020
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
has launched a formal impeachment inquiry against
President Donald Trump, yielding to mounting pres-
sure from fellow Democrats and plunging a deeply
divided nation into an election year clash between
Congress and the commander in chief.
The probe focuses partly on whether Trump abused
his presidential powers and sought help from a for-
eign government to undermine Democratic foe Joe
Biden and help his own reelection effort. Pelosi said
Tuesday such actions would mark a “betrayal of his
oath of office” and declared, “No one is above the law.”
The impeachment inquiry, after months of investi-
gations by House Democrats of the Trump administra-
tion, sets up the party’s most direct and consequential
confrontation with the Republican president, injects
deep uncertainty into the 2020 election campaign
and tests anew the nation’s constitutional system of
checks and balances.
Trump, who thrives on combat, has all but dared
Democrats to take this step, confident that the specter
of impeachment led by the opposition party will bol-
ster rather than diminish his political support.
Meeting with world leaders at the United Nations,
he previewed his defense in an all-caps tweet: “PRESI-
DENTIAL HARASSMENT!”
UK Lawmakers to Return to
Parliament Amid Political Turmoil
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LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers are returning
to the House of Commons on Wednesday following
the bombshell Supreme Court ruling that Prime Min-
ister Boris Johnson had acted illegally by suspending
Parliament.
The historic move backed Parliament’s sovereignty
and slapped down what justices viewed as an effort by
Johnson to squelch debate on Brexit. The prime min-
ister is hurrying back to London after cutting short a
trip to the U.N. General Assembly amid demands for
his resignation from furious opposition parties.
In New York, Johnson brushed aside questions
about whether he would resign, said he “strongly”
disagreed with the court decision and suggested he
might try to suspend Parliament for a second time.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove says the government
“respected” the court decision but refused to apolo-
gize for breaking the law.
“I think it’s important to stress that while the Su-
preme Court was clear, there is a respectable legal
opinion that disagrees with that view,” Gove told the
BBC. “It’s perfectly possible in a democracy to say you
respect a judgment and will comply with the judg-
ment, but you also note that there are a range of views
about the appropriateness of a particular course of
action.”
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn countered that
Johnson should say he was sorry to the public and
to Queen Elizabeth II for telling her that Parliament
should be suspended. The suspension would have
limited debate before Britain’s scheduled Oct. 31 de-
parture from the European Union.
Domingo Withdraws From Met
Opera After Harassment Reports
NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Opera an-
nounced Tuesday that Plácido Domingo had agreed
AP PHOTO/PAT SULLIVAN
Dems Take Up Impeachment Drive,
Say Trump Betrayed His Oath
In this handout photo provided by the House of Commons, SNP MP
Joanna Cherry speaks in Parliament in London, Sept. 25. British
lawmakers returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday,
venting their pent-up anger over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s failed
attempt to suspend Parliament and warning that democracy itself is
under threat from the government.
to withdraw from his slate of scheduled performanc-
es at the opera house following allegations of sexual
harassment made by multiple women in two Associ-
ated Press stories. The opera legend indicated that he
would never again perform at the Met.
Domingo had been scheduled to sing the title role in
the season premiere of Verdi’s “Macbeth” on Wednes-
day night, which would have been his first perfor-
mance in the United States since the AP reported that
numerous women had accused him of inappropriate
behavior, including one soprano who said he grabbed
her bare breast.
The Met had been under increasing pressure to
cancel Domingo’s appearances, but general manager
Peter Gelb reiterated to performers after a dress re-
hearsal Saturday that the opera house was awaiting
results of investigations by the LA Opera, where Do-
mingo has been general director since 2003, and the
American Guild of Musical Artists, the union that
represents various opera staff.
Domingo, who had sung in rehearsals, issued a
statement saying his Met career was over after what
the company said was 706 performances as a singer,
plus 169 as a conductor.
“I made my debut at the Metropolitan Opera at the
age of 27 and have sung at this magnificent theater for
51 consecutive, glorious years,” the star said. “While
I strongly dispute recent allegations made about me,
and I am concerned about a climate in which people
are condemned without due process, upon reflection,
I believe that my appearance in this production of
‘Macbeth’ would distract from the hard work of my
colleagues both on stage and behind the scenes.
Workers, Car owners, Dealers and
GM Feel Pinch From Strike
DETROIT (AP) — As the United Auto Workers’
strike against General Motors stretches into a second
week, it’s not just the company and striking workers
getting pinched.
With many replacement part warehouses shut
down, dealers are beginning to run short of compo-
nents to repair cars, trucks and SUVs. And companies
that make auto parts are also starting to see work slow
down. Dealer inventory of new vehicles is holding up
but starting to get depleted on a few models.
Meanwhile, GM is losing millions of dollars and has
been forced to close one Canadian factory and send
workers home at another. The 49,000 striking work-
ers are going to have to get by on $250 per week in
strike pay.
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