Impeachment goes live

Greetings, TicToc readers! In this edition: Disney+ wows on first day, Hong Kong clashes turn chaotic, and high tides hit Venice. Must-see TV? Impeachment goes live The House Intelligence Committee gave the public its first live, televised look at the impeachment evidence against President Trump Wednesday, with testimony from Ambassador William Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent. Here are 5 key takeaways: Trump's newly disclosed Ukraine call. Trump asked about "the investigations" during a previously unknown phone call with EU envoy Gordon Sondland. Taylor said it referred to a request that President Zelenskiy investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Giuliani had an "irregular policy channel." Kent said Rudy Giuliani attempted to "smear" ex-ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and Taylor said he was working to condition a White House meeting on Ukrainian investigations of the Bidens. GOP dismissed "fourth-hand rumors." Devin Nunes, the panel's top Republican, said the diplomats' testimony was "based on second-hand, third-hand, even fourth-hand rumors and innuendo." Withholding aid alarmed both diplomats. "It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House," Taylor said. "It's another to leverage security assistance to a country at war dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Trump was "too busy" to tune in. He said he hadn't "watched for one minute" any of Wednesday's hearing and denounced the ongoing probe as a "witch hunt" and a "sham." $ignificant figures $134.5 billion. The U.S. budget deficit widened in October, as government spending rose and receipts declined, increasing the gap by about $34 billion since last year. 10 million. Disney+ attracted that many subscribers on its first day live in the U.S. and Canada, surprising analysts who expected such growth to take much longer. 12 people. A bus carrying high school students collided with a truck in Slovakia killing at least a dozen and injuring 17 more in "one of the worst traffic accidents" in its history, the president said. Sponsor Content by Hitachi Hitachi Social Innovation is POWERING GOOD. We all have the power to do good and work hard to find solutions to the challenges we face. In that same spirit, Hitachi is collaborating with partners to accelerate Social Innovation by integrating digital technology with our expertise in infrastructure.   Highly quotable "Battleground." A standoff at the Chinese University of Hong Kong turned violent as police fired tear gas and protesters hurled bricks and petrol bombs, forcing the closure of all public schools. "Arctic outbreak." A blast of frigid air produced mid-winter conditions for much of the U.S. with record-low temps and snow that covered 30% of the country, NOAA said.  "Berlin rocks." Elon Musk announced Tesla would build an engineering and design center in the German capital, making it the carmaker's first major European factory. This is not normal "Venice is on its knees." The historic Italian city is suffering its worst flooding in half a century, as the second-highest tide ever submerged about 85% of the city underwater. "These are the effects of climate change," the mayor tweeted, and officials estimated millions of euros in damage. The future is now 21st-century travel. Hoping to wow potential riders, Virgin Hyperloop One unveiled at the Dubai Motor Show a high-tech passenger pod that'll supposedly reach 760 mph and offer a "tailor-made infotainment experience." What's good Life-changing news. Cheaper insulin may soon be a reality for millions of diabetics under a UN pilot program to prequalify the life-saving medicine. Experts say the quality assurance initiative will cut prices and dramatically increase access to treatment. Now that you're caught up... Tell your friends to sign up to receive our newsletter five days a week, and follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Before you go: Bon Voyage, Greta. The teen climate activist hitched another low-carbon ride across the Atlantic for a climate summit in Madrid. Thanks for reading! -Andrew Mach FOLLOW US SEND TO A FRIEND You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's TicToc Tonight newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022